It's All Perception

And I’ll bet they totally ignore da Bears. ;)

No surprise here. The Chargers have what the mediots love most: names. The indomitable Ladanian Tomlinson, the great story of Drew Brees, the raw ability of Antonio Gates, the flash of Keenan McCardell, the brawn of Lorenzo Neal. Those guys make for easy stories. They also have some recent skins on the wall. And they have one more thing: underdog status.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys have a retread QB and a bunch of guys named WhoIsHe (from a mediot perspective). And we’ve been bad for a few years.

Our team will have to prove themselves by winning the NFC East and a playoff game. Then the mediots will finally be forced to really examine this team for the first time.

The reason is SD was 12-4 last year, we were 6-10 big difference. They have the best RB and TE in the game. Stop hating………Expectations for SD are much higher this year for them than dallas.

AW,

Why??? Why are expectations higher for San Diego than Dallas? Every year EVERY team starts out with the same clean slate, and the same goal. Dallas has played as well, (if not better than considering we beat them) than San Diego up to this point in the year. I understand that San diego had a great year last year, especially compared to ours. However if you listen to the mediots they still do not consider Dallas as having an impact in the division. I have to ask, WHY? Until we actually make some noise in the playoffs the coverage in the media will be the same. Why? Because very few of them are capable of intellectual analysis on how teams are playing. The fact that we should be at least 7 and 1 seems to have escaped the media. If we can limit our boneheaded mistakes we could win the whole thing.

I agree with Remnant and AW,

If Dallas had come off a 12 win season last year with the same proven players they may have received similar respect, who knows.

It’s only show biz anyway and these guys are wrong as much as they are right. I wonder how much research they really do?

rha,

Probably none….unless you count the musings of the game commentators they have to hear while watching a game.

CDW
SD didn’t get the same love last year at this time they get it this year because they were 12-4. We gave away two games and had a chance to win the other one. The other three close games we could have lost. The first 8 game are sum up like this if we score more than 13 points we win if we don’t we loose. If we go to the playoffs this year we will get more love next year. And SD has SB on their minds coming into this season and others did too.

Let’s get back to facts.

How many other teams have been in every game they’ve played this season? How many can claim they’re in a position to win every game they played if they had converted one of many plays they reasonably should have converted?

I do think SD is such a team. But so is Dallas. I’m not so on top of the NFL to be able to name other equivalent teams. However, I do know none of the other NFC East teams can make this claim. In fact, among their losses, Dallas has a the smallest pt margin.

These are the average loss margin per team:

Dallas – 3.33pts (3 losses)
NY Giants -12.5pts (2 losses)
Washington -15 pts (3 losses)
Philadelphia -18.33pts (3 losses)

These margins are a result of the Eagles, Redskins and Giants loosing ugly and convincingly. The Eagles lost big yesterday and to Dallas; Washington lost big yesterday and maybe also to the Chiefs; NY Giants lost convingly to SD.

Look at it like this

Rushing Statistics
NAME ATT YDS AVG LNG TD FUM LST
Julius Jones 112 407 3.6 25 3 1 1
Marion Barber 62 253 4.1 28 2 2 0
Tyson Thompson 44 180 4.1 16 0 0 0
Anthony Thomas 36 80 2.2 12 0 0 0

First…Who’s with me in that Julius should b M.B.3’s back-up??? I Know a person should not lose a job over injury, but even when he was healthy early on the season he did not run close to as good as Barber has the past 2 games!

What I luv is on some of the power polls, the chargers r still in the top 5! Will they also b the best in the top 5 when they don’t make the playoffs? Is it possible that they r just not as good as advertised? I believe not only Bill has said this but many others have said this also: “u r what u r”….& the chargers r precisely that 2!!!!

chris
We will see where SD falls at the end I think they will get into the playoffs. I think JJ should start but if he plays like he has then he should be replaced.

I think the big difference between the San Diego situation and the Dallas situation is that San Diego has an identity. They have L.T., Brees, and Gates…those are their solidified starters. And these are “stars” of the league, so of course they get airtime. Dallas on the other hand has little defined character. A mix of young-expected to be average players among a bunch of old beat up veterans…for some reason I don’t think that story plays too well. Don’t forget this, look at how much each dallas team has changed in the last three years. Remember ‘03? How many of those guys are playing and making an impact…not just in dallas but anywhere. I think that just comes down to the fact that no one in the media has taken the time to look at dallas’ players becouse…well let’s be honest…with the track record they might be out the door soon.
           But let’s all get on the same train here ok???? Although I do believe San Diego is a good team…they are vastly over rated. No way are they the best .500 team ever.

well San Diego surprised the mediots last year by actually winning and Drew Brees was raised from the Dead and Phillip Rivers never got on the field. Now they are rushing to jump on the bandwagon of a team that has a good QB, a great RB, the best TE in football, and some good recivers……..and a typicaly Schottenheimer Defense.

What I hate is the teasers ESPN or Fox gives by always showing an excerpt of Parcells or the Cowboys…….and then when the get to the feature it is a dud or old news………but they know that Amercias Team still gets ratings……..and while the Mediots may despise them……..the NFL loves the Fact that the Cowboys are no longer cellar dwellers!

The media despite being hesitant to give the Cowboys their due, well don’t blame em. We been good for so long, and we got a few of our own in the Media these days………Troy Aikman is top Analyst in Football……..Jimmy Johnson is in the studio………DJ is in the boothe……..Emmit is on NFL…………Irvin is on ESPN……after getting an FA offer on the best damn sports show……….and sure to make a guest appearance on Showtimes show “Weeds” is Nate “2TON” Newton…….and the 2 Tons ain’t got nothing to do with his personal scale………LOL……..

If ESPN was smart they would move Madden to Monday Nights……..serve a turkey every game…….and have Nate show up and do analysis………Nate would get stoned and have the munchies and Madden could do analysis on how Big Nate eats a turkey leg under the influence of drugs that only Vikings use…….Big Nate could do a demonstration of how to use the Original Whizzinator……..and Leon Lett could show up to line analysis……..not offense or defense…….but Coke Lines…..are they straight do they have the right amount of columbian…….LOL………it would be far better than Mike Patrick, Joe Thiesman and McGuire……….I had to endure Mike Patrick for years with Bill Packer back when ACC basketball was believe it or not small time………..Patrick sucked then in basketball and he still sucks today……..I say give Madden, Newton and Lett a couple of kilos and some Turkey and let them be the new Trio on the booth on Monday Nights. Hey it will still beat out Dennis Miller or Dan Diedorf………..

WHOA, I just had a thought….Check this out !!!!

Marion Barber is to Julius Jones
          as
Willie Parker is to Jerome Bettis

I know it’s a stretch…but wouldn’t it be cool if we could keep ’em both in the mix!!!!!

Look at this mess on cbs.

2. The Philadelphia Eagles aren’t the team to beat in the NFC East; the New York Giants are. They can run and pass. Philadelphia can’t. Besides, the Eagles have fallen into the habit of digging themselves into deep first-half holes. Look at their past four games: They were outscored 79-30. Now, let’s look at New York, which has won three of its past four. Its next game is at San Francisco. That’s a win. Then the Giants play home to Minnesota. That’s another win. That makes them 7-2 with seven games left, and let’s just say they win four of them. That puts them in the playoffs, and it might win the division.

emrdog
No JJ is not power runner or are you saying MB is the power runner? I like one main guy back there with the back up getting 5-10 carries.

emrdog:

Bad comparison, try Curtis Martin-Richie Anderson, Rudi Johnson-Chris Perry, Mike Anderson-Tatum Bell and then some Priest Holmes-Larry Johnson and you’ll be closer. It’s good to have depth.

This is one reason why Peter King has lost all credibility with me and his ability to be objective.

The biggest part of the problem is that, SD was a favorite of most every mediot in the country. In essence they are just trying to prop up their preseason picks. I predicted they would 7-9 simply because SD has such a tough schedule. But it burns me to no end that we keep getting slighted while the mediots are putting two teams in the top 5 that we’ve already beat.

Chris,

We discussed JJ and Barber on a previous thread. I agree Barber should be the guy for now.

Chandus
Real bad comparisons. MB looks the part of Martin more than JJ. Bell can score at anytime JJ is no where near his speed. MB doesn’t do anything great but does everything well. JJ hasn’t run inside yet. MB does kind of look like Perry but JJ and Rudi don’t look alike at all.

Wow, sorry I was way off…the reason I bring it up is becouse I like Barber catching balls in the flat and I think he can turn the corner pretty well…I like to think of JJ as a power runner becouse in all honesty he lacks a few steps in my opinion

Hey who cares about “Power Polls” and “expert” opinions. Did they pick New England to beat the Rams? Do they ever get it right? … My opinion on this goes way back. I have articles on how the Cowboys were finished after starting 0-2 in 1993. Then done in 1994 after they lost to SF in the NFC Championship game. 2 Super Bowl Championships later!! But the Boys aren’t the only team they’ve been wrong about …. they are almost always wrong!! … ESPN’s Steven A. Smith adomately predicted that the Lakers would destroy the Pistons. He wouldn’t even let his colleague speak on the chance of the Pistons upsetting LA. …. Days later he was just as rude, as if he was God’s gift to basketball knowledge. He got right back on the air, with more predictions, but offering no apalogies for his “Lakers blowout” prediction. …. The best thing to do is keep an article or just remember how wrong the analyst was … when they start talking again like they know so much more than the every day sport’s fan … sit back and laugh. .. or just do what I do … if they loose all credability … simply ignore them.

…. Hey since we are here at the 1/2 way point, what are your biggest disappointments? Suprises? Any mid-season grades?

If there is one thing I am upset with, its that the coaching staff didn’t lock Newman on Santana Moss. He is the only CB with the speed to match up with Moss, and that desicion cost us a division game.

Best suprise is how fast the new D has become effective and shows potential to dominate.

Biggest disappointment is the offensive line play.

I think you guys will miss Singleton. He’s not a superstar or a playmaker but he is a Steady Eddie that does his job and is a good guy in the team mold. Now Fujita takes his place(thank you KC) and will do fine, if not better, but that creates a hole in the depth behind him. I think if Burnett was ready for prime time we would have seen him by now. Putting Fujita in the D more takes him out of special teams where we will miss his contributions.

I’m GLAD we’re not getting the attention some of these other teams are getting. I like that we’re not up at the top of the stupid power polls.

I want us to remain under the radar as best we can until playoff time, although it’s getting harder. We don’t need the added high expectation media preasure this year. Believe me, we’ll have it next year for sure.

Let the media stroke SD and owens’ eagles and manning’s giants and the goody-goody patriots. Our defense will make people stand up and notice real quick come playoff time who the more “powerful” team is.

Good Question EricR

disappointments #1 the games we lost—-should have won.
                        #2 Julius Jones,even when he’s not hurt I’m disappointed
                        #3 Flozell Adams…that’s going to sting down the road and
                             the inconsistancy of the O-Line

Suprises #1 The Defense baby!!!!…they have young sharp little
                             teeth don’t they!!!
                         #2 the deference Anthony Henery has made
                         #3 Drew, I’m still mad at him for the Seattle game, but I
                              got to hand it to him, he’s having a good season
                         #4 K. Johnson has turned out to be a great pick up
                         #5 DeMarcus Ware is scary good…SCARY

Grades Offense : B – Defense: B + Special teams: C +

Bill Parcells description of Barber sounds like the same one he used for Ritchie Anderson, damn near verbatim. Does that translate onto the field? We’ll have to wait and see. Personally, I’m in the Julius Jones corner. If he’s healthy and fails to perform with the blocking MB3 has enjoyed recently, then I would give the rock to MB3 or Tyson Thompson. Whoever gets the job done. I’m just glad we have such depth at the position but I’m not ready to jump bandwagons based on one or two games. Parcells will play both guys to our great pleasure.

Had we just beat the Washington Redskins we would be undefeated in the NFC East……..which is what we did back in our Glory Days of the early Ninties……..we finally figured out how to beat the Eagles, Redskins and Giants……..and they were all really good teams……..like uh……….a few Super Bowls between em………and after we figured it out the rest of the NFL was a cake walk to the Super Bowl and 3 Rings.

The road to the Super Bowl is still paved through the NFC EAST!

The only other thing that I am disappointed in is the fact that Drew Bledsoe has not lit up defenses with Witten. I thought he would become his favorite target. Witten single covered should be a completion 75% of the time. Just ask Aikman and Novacek…….Brees and Gates……..anybody and Gonzalez………..Ben Coates anyone………come on Drew throw it to the big guy in the middle that few LBs or Safeties can cover………and watch your TDs go up and your INTS go down.

Other than that I think the best thing is we are in every game. We lost 3 we could have easily won…….but hey ain’t nobody pushing us around anymore.

Unfortunately I hate to even mention a kicker……..but I am glad Cortez is gone and Suisham………is in………..I want my kicker to make it from 21 twice……….I can miss a few from 45 and sleep at night………I just gotta tell the Offense………hey this guy is automatic from 40……..so get us to the 23 yard line and we got 3. Otherwise we keep going for it. But still we had a good kicking game last year and did not even think about it before Cundiff’s injury. I gues (*&(& happens!

Oh well………for my money we might be the best 5-3 team………cuz we have yet to have a mistake free great football game. When that happens this team beats anybody in the NFL today……..and in January when it really matters. You figure Ware, Canty, Spears, Ratliff, Barber, and Burnett get better each game………..learn the D and O better……..along with the X and the O……..and we could surprise ourselves come playoff time.

Similar to those 92 teams……..the young guys really don’t know how good they are………and that can be to our advantage…….and the VETS want to get there cuz well Drew, Glenn, Ferg, Rivera, and KJ, TG, and Ellis and Glover aint getting any younger! It could be a really nice mix come playoff time! And we are talking playoffs. Loving it………so far.

Bill go get em ready for the Eagles again! You should have Dat and Julius back. You got two weeks to get Ware ready to knock McNabb into next seasons hopeful return from injury!

emrdog,

My only disappointment (really) is the coaches desicion not to man up on Santana. I don’t get too upset at young players making mistakes. So besides one bad throw in Seatle, a couple stupid holding penalties by the O-line vets, and Anthony Henry and Aaron Glen getting beat a few times, things have been good. The coaches should have scouted Moss better, and known Newman is the only corner that has the speed to cover Moss. You do notice that since that game, Zimmer and Parcells have matched up. .. No excuse for that!!

I think Newman is the most improved player on the team. He is shutting guys down. Holding good WRs to one or two catches. His ability to go man on man is allowing Parcells to be aggressive with Roy. … Nick Eatman did an article on “Mr. Irreplacable”, and I now think it is Newman who deserves that title.

Unlike most of the faithful, I haven’t been overly impressed with Ware. He has been good, especially for a young player and a player making a position change. .. Probably unfair to him, but you can’t really impress me until you are winning battles in the trenches in those late season games. Make plays in November and December!! To me that is what make a player a PLAYER! Does he have that in him??

Jon,

Excellent points!! That first Super Bowl team in the 90’s “didn’t know how good they were” and Jimmy Johnson got them playing well at just the right time. Just seemed as the season moved on they were gaining confidence. Right about the middle of that season they started doing things like penalty free-games and no turnover games. Remind you of anyone? Late season “tests” like traveling to Denver, prepared them for the raod ahead. This year’s late season road schedule could do the same. Scoring on first drives and getting an early lead, only to close games out with a powerful running game became the mark of that team. Saw that for the first time yesterday. .. I say stick with Barber. He was a spark! But I think more importantly, when a team plays like Dallas did yesterday, they get comfortable with what is there. You don’t want to alter that. Julius can get carries and an oportunity to show an ability to stay healthy. But not now, not just as this young team is gaining confidence in what they are.

I think that some of you have short term memory, JJ is fast, but you’re right he hasn’t shown that this year. So now we need to see him running with the way the line is playing now and you’ll see JJ as the starter at the Linc and accomplishing the 2nd 100 yard game of the season. But the line needs to be dominant.

StarStruck:
Yeah, Parcells description of MB3 sounds exactly to the one of Anderson, with the only diferences being that MB3 is faster and smaller. Sounds to me like Parcells ball distribution will begin at Philly, JJ 20 touches, MB3 10 touches and some change to TT.

Sean is on the right track. The D is what makes this team dangerous. Lets look at some stats from the last few games:

AZ 12 first downs, 7-17 on 3rd down, 213 net yards, 3.5 yards per play
Sea 20 first downs, 3-13 on 3rd down, 289 net yards, 4.4 yards per play
NYG 11 first downs, 1-11 on 3rd, 270 net yards, 5.1 ypp
Phi 6 first downs, 2-12 on 3rd, 129 net yards, 3.0 ypp.
Oak 16 first downs, 2-10 on 3rd, 333 net yards, 5.9 ypp.

What really impresses me is the lack of first downs and the 3rd down conversion rate. They are really making it tough on opposing teams to keep the ball. This has enabled them to stay in every game and consitently win the time of posession battle. And these stats have come against the #1 rated offense in the NFL 3 times so far. (Phi, NYG, Sea).

Lets hope that Henry and Pile are ok. Henry, particularly, has been exceptional so far. He has really balanced out the pass D.

Singleton is gone. But lets hope that Burnett is ready to step up to fill the reserve role. Remember, he was drafted at a higher spot than JJ was (#41 vs #42). Time to show something.

And yes, I think JJ should get the load when he returns. He is more explosive than MB3. That said, I think MB3 will have a nice long career. He knows what he’s doing and won’t likely make mistakes. That goes a long way with coaches. You can argue that his rushing stats are better than JJ’s. I’d argue that the OLine is run blocking better now than in the early season.

But to conclude, I think the media has underestimated Dallas. I do think SD is reasonably ranked. They are a good team. And that Dallas beat them in SD only speaks to our ability.

We do have some holes and problems. But overall, I am encouraged by what I am seeing.

Off-topic, but related to the opening about san diego getting more attention-Did anyone notice the hall of fame list came out? Will the Cowboys bias continue to the point where Aikman doesn’t go 1st ballot???? “Oh, he just benefitted from being with Emmitt and that Offensive line” Of course, for Emmit they’ll say it was just the passing game and the offensive line. And if that offensive was so good, will they put anyone besides Larry Allen in the HOF (NO)? Will they have the guts to put Irvin and Troy in TOGETHER and pay homage to the best team ever?? Will Rayfield Wright make it??? And will Nate Newton get chosen? (just kidding there)

I too hope Dallas continues to fly under the radar. It adds fuel to the fire. This team is going to explode by the time it gets to the playoffs. I can just feel it. It feels a lot like the 80s when there were teams that had been bad but were emerging. I think of the Giants and the Bears. You could just feel that they were going to be good. This team has that. I honestly think that we are going to the SuperBowl. I don’t see anybody from the NFC stopping us. I don’t know if we can beat Indianapolis or the Steelers when we get to the SB, but I do know that the 3-4 has been a killer for them the past 4 years. I do like our chances however.

If before the 2004 season you would tell me that we would have a Martin-Anderson type duo in the backfield with a HR hitter like TT, I would be as thrilled as he**. Stop complaining and worrying who will start. It doesn’t matter. BP knows what to do with a large amount of RB talent.

I think Aikman will be picked first rattle out of the bag. The reason is, for whatever you think about him, he was extremely accurate. Not to mention he’s got that “all american good ol’ boy” thing going for him. If you look at his resume it would be disgusting not to vote him in this year. Super Bowl MVP…3 titles…so and so forth

Barber gets in there and rushes for 94 and 127, and all of a sudden “the line is playing better” (despite not having Flozell?). Oh the other one is “its only the Cardinals”. … It is what it is! .. Furthermore, Arizona is statistically better against the than 5 of the other 7 teams Dallas has played. Seatle plays very well at home too. The Seahawks at home allowed 67, 90, and 115 (against Atlanta), then Dallas and Barber rushed for a respectable 164 with Barber leading the way. Pretty damn good! .. Come on people, you don’t loose your best offensive lineman and then all of a sudden become BETTER overnight. .. Barber is different than JJ. A “power” back if you will. He may follow a block more often and lower his head and get a minimal gain. Where Julius may look to break the run to the outside, sometimes to loose yardage, sometimes to break a highlight type run. .. What I am saying is what was argued in the 90’s with the Emmitt vs Barry debate. With a “power” running game there is more straight ahead blocking, therefore an offensive lineman is less likely to grab and hold than if he has a runner that bounces a bunch of runs to the outside. The linemen are also rewarded by a RB that is following the blocks they make … they get to see their effort’s results in film study (also they are able to see what doing incorrectly), and the power blocking wears on a defense more, moreso when defenders are engaged in a block and the rusher barrels through them, ala Smith and Barber. In the 3rd and 4th quarters, defenses are so wore down, they can’t stop you. .. Do you really think its a coincidence that Dallas goes to a “power” back and all these things start falling into place? Closing out the game. No penalties. Less turnovers. Less pressure on the QB. .. Its not the line, nor the opponent. .. Just an early impression of Barber … this kid would play with a separated shoulder too. I like JJ, but would he? … Playing hurt, if you and I can recognize this, what do you think their teammates think about it?

This team is about where I expected at this point, maybe a bit ahead of it. In every game, no blowouts, a couple of unnecessary losses (but only one at home, or to a clearly inferior team, the Redskins).

The rookies look about like advertised. I’m still not ready to put Ware in Canton yet—he still is not looking enough like a dominant linebacker to suit me (or Bill, I’d wager), but his rush has improved and his containment is a lot better. Spears and Canty both show flashes. Barber looks good. Henry and Ferguson look like they came for a reason. Bledsoe is as good as the Cowboys have had since the middle of Aikman’s career.

Tackling is better. Coverage is better. The line is still an inconsistent mess. Kicking has been ridiculous. Punting and field position have been hidden strengths.

Keys in the second half will be putting a string together, and beating some good teams on the road. The team’s most complete games so far have both come at home—will they be able to do that on the road, or will it be more Oakland-Seattle-lose at the end? One makes them dominant, the other close to .500. My money would be on the former, but the “smart” money, the ESPN-Randy Galloway-DMN money, is on the latter, since the players are so young, and most of the media turkeys don’t like either Parcells or Bledsoe (or Jones!)

It will be nice to prove those chumps wrong, yet again.

Should read:“Arizona is statistically better against the run than 5 of the other 7 teams Dallas has played”

jones barber or thompson all need good blocking up front to create holes in order to be successful, a train on the other hand would need a scooter though he is the best blocker of the bunch, wonder if he could be a fb?

Eric R,

I agree with you to an extent on Barber. Yes he is better but not because I think he neccessarily has more power. First of all he’s a step quicker to the line that Julius Jones. Second, he keeps his legs moving after first contact which is something that Julius Jones did year one. I’m thinking all of the preaching that Parcells did over the summer about avoiding negative plays was making Jones fall foward for as many yards as he could after first contact.

I was reading an article in Pro Football talk about two and three back sets, their history, and their resurgence.

Any chance Dallas gets all three RBs in the game at the same time and runs a single receiver offensive play?

Barber seems to run with his pads lower as well. He runs like he weighs about 25 lbs more than Jones instead of 10 but without losing a step. I really think his first 2 touches Sunday inspired the O-line. If a running back will stick his nose in the hole and blow through it the line loves to block for that guy.
 I could see Barber getting the start and Jones taking a backup role in Philthy kinda the same as BP did with Dat. It would make sense to invest your practice time in the guy you know is 100% until Jones proves that he is healthy with a couple of good series in a relief role. It also limits the Eagles on prep tape. We’ve got time to work in a few wrinkles during the bye. This seems like the best time for a bye we’ve had in the last few years.

aw wrote:

2. The Philadelphia Eagles arenâ€â"¢t the team to beat in the NFC East; the New York Giants are. They can run and pass. Philadelphia canâ€â"¢t. Besides, the Eagles have fallen into the habit of digging themselves into deep first-half holes. Look at their past four games: They were outscored 79-30. Now, letâ€â"¢s look at New York, which has won three of its past four. Its next game is at San Francisco. Thatâ€â"¢s a win. Then the Giants play home to Minnesota. Thatâ€â"¢s another win. That makes them 7-2 with seven games left, and letâ€â"¢s just say they win four of them. That puts them in the playoffs, and it might win the division.

you’re right on dude. the division is going to be decided at Giants stadium on Sun Dec 4. If the Boys win, they’ll take the division on tiebreaker, with both teams 11-5 but the Cowboys sweep. If they lose, then they’re wild card. Either way, Giants and Cowboys go the playoffs from the NFC. Deadskins and Iggles do a second-half fade and end up around .500.

Sorry, I was reading that article on Football outsiders.

An official post-season prediction at the halfway mark. Not sure who’s got home field because they’ll use a bunch of tiebreakers to determine it.

Dallas 11-5 NFC East
Atlanta 11-5 NFC South
Seattle 11-5 NFC West
Chicago 9-7 NFC North
NY Giants 11-5 Wild Card (lose tiebreaker to Dal)
Carolina 10-6 Wild Card

Is aw a Cowboy’s fan? Hey you do know we’ve already beat them right? And that they have a paper thin defensive line?

I predicted 11-5 for the Cowboys on the preseason prediction thread.

Chris,

First…Whoâ€â"¢s with me in that Julius should b M.B.3â€â"¢s back-up??? …

I’m not there yet.

Here’s how I compare the two backs. Barber is a bit bigger and maybe stronger. He certainly finishes well. They are both excellent as pass blockers. I can’t see any difference there. Jones may be a little faster. He definitely accelerates faster, and may have the fastest acceleration in the NFL. Jones is also shiftier, and is better at setting up defensive backs when he gets to the second level. The one area that Barber has a definite and significant advantage is in pass receiving. Barber is accomplished there. Jones is not.

Although at this time I believe Jones to be the better back, we will soon find out when they both get to play against the same team. While that is not always an infallible method (see Emmitt vs. T Hambrick), it is the best way I know to compare two backs.

aw,

Look at this mess on cbs.

I’m not sure why you characterized their analysis of the Giants’ position as a ‘mess’. They have a good record and a reasonably favorable schedule for the rest of the year. They should be getting consideration to make the playoffs and contend for the division.

The Cowboys are only a half game behind the Giants and have the head-to-head advantage (so far — we do have to play them again in New York), but our remaining schedule looks tougher, with very few ‘easy’ games left.

Very few if any games in the NFL are easy. How is that extra home game for the Giants looking now, considering they haven’t won on the road yet?

Just for the record since so much disinformation is being spread:
Tatum Bell was the fastest timed RB of his draft class. JJwas .01 behind.
JJ is faster then Barber who is a low 4.5 back; JJ was timed at just under
4.4 Barber is not faster and has nowhere near the acceleration JJ has.
SO that is out of the way.
Now regards power: Barber has the edge there, as well as receiving. JJ can break the long one and turn nothing into something. Barber HAS not shown that ability.
The O line stank at run blocking untill the Philthy game. THAT BY EVERYONES ADMISSION INCLUDING BP. Since then they have run blocked well.
YOU DO REMEMBER how bad Barber looked just a couple of games ago- those of you with short memories need a little jog. I think he was like 11 carries for 30 yds or something like that- just looked real bad. WORSE THEN JJ HAS EVER LOOKED.
The fact is that just about everyone that is knocking JJ now have never been a fan of his. They have been ticked off since he was drafted – and have been looking for a reason to dump on him.

Our 2nd half schedule is much tougher than the Giants. The only “sure” win is Detroit. The toughest part is playing NY, Wash, and Phil all on the road. I have us ending at 11-5 if all the cards fall right (I think I picked 9-7 preseason). The biggest challenge game may be Denver on TG Day.

@ Phil (Lose)
Detroit (Win)
Denver (W)
@ NYG (L)
KC (W)
@ Wash (W)
@ Carolina (W)
St. Louis (W)

It was 11 carries for 30 yds; and 11 of those yds came on one carry.
So he was 10 for 19 the rest of the time. JJ has never had stats that bad.
the redskin game last year was the only one close, and at that time the skins might have had the best D in the league.
Seattle and Arizona have the #16 and # 15 rush D’s in the league.
Up untill Tiki raped them, washington was around # 9. SD is #3. Giants #11.
Oakland and Philthy were also much more highly ranked.
So untill Barber runs well against a top D he has proven NOTHING. And I think 80-90 yds and around 4.0 against a top D is running well. Top D’s do not give up huge yards unless they are having a real bad day. One or two plays can make a big difference in stats. What to look for is the constant 4-6 yd runs; a lot of them. To give him his due Barber DID that against Arizona, and some of that against Seattle. BUT THEN THEIR D’s are not that good, are they?

Carolina I see as a PROBABLE loss- they are right now the best team in the NFC. Denver- it all comes down to pressuring Plummer. KC- their D is regressing and the O is not what it was. St Louis- hard to tell- but we should be able to run and pass on them; and the way our D is playing I think we take them down. The Giants- they have some holes and it depends on how well Manning is playing ( he sucked Sunday but you would not know it from the mediots). We should be no worse then 6-2 the rest of the way (knock on wood due to injuries).

Burmafrd,

I waffled on calling Denver the toughest W because I’m concerned about Carolina too. It’s a long ways off and who knows what happens between now and then (injuries?) but I came up with a W because we have more playmakers on both sides of the ball than they do. It’ll be a good, probably low scoring game. They’ve won 4 in a row but the teams were GB, AZ, Detroit, and Minn. Not exactly the varsity. They may have the easiest schedule in the league this year.

Burmafrd,

I am not knocking JJ. Your comment of “just about everyone knocking him now, has never been a fan of his”, sure wouldn’t include me. A Fighting Irish fan myself, I was hoping they would draft him knowing how explosive he is. Yet, the bottom line is 40% of his pro career he has been in street clothes spectating. Now I brought up the injury question of: How do his teammates feel about him? Its a war out there, and if one guy keeps moving to the backline, then at some point team moves forward without him. ..

Also as Sean nicely pointed out, offensive linemen love to block for backs who explode through the wholes, like Barber.

No penalties! When an OT seals his defender to the outside, then the back bounces it out to that side, the tackle is much more likely to grab and hold his guy. Barber, in two quick weeks, has shown a better ability to follow the blocks. Ofensive linemen, and any player, are much more comfortable playing when they know what to expect.

You mention the 11 carries for 30 yards. So what? Troy Hambrick used to get 10 carries for 55 yards. You can’t judge a back on limited carries. Habrick is a perfect example of that! .. Its what a RB does being the featured back that counts. As I pointed out 94 yards against a Seahawk defense that plays well at home, and 127 and 2 TDs.

Marion B III is also a nice threat in the passing game. His receiving skills and blocking ability are already further along than Julius’s.

Barber gets in there and all of a sudden “the offensive line is playing better”. Why take a step back? Regardless of why they are playing better with Barber lined up in the back field … they are.

Confidence in the NFL is a fragile thing. Confidence? As stated, O-linemen love to block for a guy like Barber, and these guys were able to lean on their opponents late in the game .. for the first time all year. That’s gotta feel good to a line that has had its struggles. Bledsoe didn’t feel the pressure of making the big play. In 6 of 7 previous games the team leaned on Bledsoe to make the game winning plays late in the game. That too must have felt great, to hand the ball off and watch. The defense got its rest in between drives and closed out the game. It showed up in the second half, and nothing compliments a good defense more than a power running game. All of a sudden, things are coming together. With Julius in there maybe they do too, but maybe they don’t. This team is at its all time high for confidence .. go with what has got you there … and that is Marion Barber.

To get back to the original point….about 4-4 teams, a little Cowboys history sets the bar pretty high for “the best 4-3 team ever” Here’s a little cut and paste from DC.com’s history page for the 71 Cowboys. I guess we’ll have to wait until after the SB to evaluate San Diego.

Six Straight Playoffs – The Cowboys won their last seven games to finish 11-3, claim the Eastern Division championship and make the playoffs for the sixth year in a row. They defeated Minnesota, 20-12, in the opening round.

Second NFC Title – For the second consecutive year, the Cowboys met the San Francisco 49ers in the National Conference showdown. This time Dallas won 14-13, to qualify for its second straight Super Bowl.

First World Championship – The Cowboys downed the Miami Dolphins, 24-3, to win Super Bowl VI in New Orleans on Jan. 16 It was the 10th victory in a row for Dallas as Roger Staubach passed for two touchdowns and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.

How can you guys think Julius Jones is soft? He had a broken freaking scapula. A broken shoulder blade. His bone broke. THAT is an injury. That’s not being weak. Sitting due to breaks and tears isn’t soft.
A high ankle sprain isn’t a sprain, it’s a tear. It’s torn ligaments that typically require surgery to repair.
He’s tough. he’s strong, he’s squat and he’s well put together. He’s hurt because he plays strong with a level of abandon. PRECISELY what you want from a back. he’s missed games simply due to bad luck.

MBIII comes up on a LB or CB and tries to go over them, JJ freezes the defender, and jukes him out of his jock. He’s an explosive home run hitter, and is proven as such. MBIII is a nice back who may one day prove the equal of JJ – and if so, great. What’s the problem with that?

That a rookie 2nd string RB did what he did to the Cardinals is a testament to the Cardinals’ defense. Way more than it is the initial formalites to the inevitable induction of MBIII to the hall of fame. You all need to calm way down. Tyson Thompson and Anthony Thomas would’ve had the same day against the Cardinals that MBIII did.

From Bill Parcells about MBIII,
“I think I just want to keep him as a promising rookie right now. We have a tendency in Dallas to anoint. I think the anointing oils are a little more prevalent here than some other parts of the country.”"

By the way, MBIII may very well be big time. I’m totally on his side and think he had an awesome day, and have been a vocal proponent of him from the beginning. However, I don’t want to throw JJ under the bus and trade him and just go with Tyson Thompson and MBIII like many of you.

Cash,

Its my opinion that Julius’s “creativeness” can cost the team more than it helps. When an offensive lineman makes a solid block, and JJ bounces the play to the outside, not where the play is intended, bad things can happen. .. The lineman could end up seeing that he is now blocking the defender into the RB, threfore a hold occurs. If the back has a habit of bouncing the play, the O-lineman could lose confidence in what he is doing and what the coaches are calling, because he can not see the effects of his blocks. (To a player like Torrin Tucker, confidence in what he is doing is critical) A shifty back, even the greatest one, Barry Sanders, have a bunch of negative plays. Another confidence killer!! Heck, negative plays end drives and give the opposition momentum. Giving the other team momentum is not what you want to do. .. Our fellow blogger, Sean makes a great point, “(Barber’s) first 2 touches Sunday inspired the O-line. If a running back will stick his nose in the hole and blow through it the line loves to block for that guy.” .. If Julius goes back in and starts doing the same things like bouncing plays, and the line starts holding and gets confused about their assignments, its a huge step backward. Tucker and Petetti are gaining confidence and I don’t think you want to mess with that much right now.

Joey2zs,

I like MBIII a lot as well, but you are right in that people here are looking to throw JJ under the bus. I hope JJ is back for the Philly game, if not then I am happy going with MBIII.

As BP says, lets not start making those Canton Busts just yet.

Mr. Bill
Why did I say a mess is because I think they only won one game on the road so far two they haven’t beat philly yet( not saying they cant but they haven’t yet) We will see what they are made up.

Cash
You read what someone said I wrote you didn’t read what I wrote.

Burmafrd
Go look at JJ first game he didn’t look good either. MB does have the longest run this year for us. TBell looks a lot faster than JJ. But I would still give JJ one more shot. But if we were just looking at this year MB should start his style fits better than JJ right now. But that can change is JJ changes up a little bit. MB has shown he has some vision. I still don’t know if JJ is the answer at RB here but I say give it to him and find out.

Burmafrd
When has JJ ran well against a good D? It has yet to happen.

Just some thoughts……..the Cowboys offense is 7th best in the NFL,5th best on defense in the NFL,no team in the NFC has more wins (5) than the Boys,we get a struggling Eagles team on Monday night after our bye week which should put us at 6-3(hopefully)then Detroit at Texas stadium(7-3)and let’s say we lose to Denver(7-4),things aren’t looking half bad here guys!Ferguson is finally getting healthy and we are stuffing the run(see Portis,LT,Alexander) I only hope the Henry injury isn’t something more serious.But if it is we still have depth with A.Glenn!IMO I think Singleton has probably played his last game as a Cowboy,and Coleman is not far behind!Our last five games are gonna be brutle with just about all of our opponents jocky’ing for the playoffs(Giants,KC,Washington,Carolina,St. Louis)if we can win 3 out 5 in that stretch,it would put us at 10 and 6!Ofcourse alot depends on injuries(on our team and on other teams) but this seems a likely scenerio.All in all,I think if we stay healthy we definately have a shot to get back in the playoff picture!

But i’ll add to that, since the NFC East is so close and competitive,it’s imperative that we take care of business within the division!The divison crown is right there for the taking,Tie-breakers will be enormous,we need the divisional wins!

The boys def. need to win that game at Philly, not so much for a confidence stand pt, but mostly b/c the Giants have a easy schedule & unless they just fold up shop, they will more than likely win 9 to 10 games. The only thing I did c was after they play the almighty 9ers next weekend, they do have to play Philly twice, Dallas, & the Seahawks, but besides that every other team they face is at the bottom of there respected divisions. Thus, with only 4 potentially tough games left on their schedule, I can not see them losing more than 5 to 6 games tops! So the next couple of weeks in fact the boys need to be playing very good football to have a chance at the playoffs!

Sharkz-I’m not so worried about the Redskins-they are getting to the tough part of their schedule with 2 games against the Eagles, San Diego, Giants, Tampa and St louis. Washington will wash out-it’s just what Little Danny does irregardless if he brings in a respectable coach.

St Louis looks to have good shot at the playoffs based on schedule if they can keep it together. The New Years Day game will probably be important to Us and the Rams.

Neither KC or Denver are very tough on the road.

Carolina has the softest schedule and should make the playoffs. That will be a good test for us on the road(I know what I’m asking Santa for).

I’m guessing that 11 wins gets the NFC East and 10 wins gets the Wild Card.

I’m concerned about our offence in the second half. I think in the last few games we have only put up 3 points in each second half.

aw,

It does seem like we leave points on the field in the second half. That probably accounts for those two late comeback losses.

Question is why?

Developing Oline. General lack of cohesion in the offense in general? Should the TE be getting more touches?

Obviously, the offense is behind the defense in terms of gelling as a unit.

Alan……..I agree with the leaving points on the field comment,I think it has alot to do with BP “old school” philosiphy of running up the middle inside the 20,although at times(like last week) he broke from that and passed the ball.Like I’ve stated in previous threads and posts,predictability can kill you!BP coached teams have a track record of doing certain things at certain times(which gives the opposing defense’s a leg up)we need to use Witten,Keyshawn and even rollouts to polite more to mix it up….IMO

Eric R,

I’ve not seen JJ try and bounce an inside run outside, all year. I’ve seen alot of him getting to the line of scrimmage and lunging for a couple of yards.

He was picking things up against the Eagles when he went down. Hopefully the rest will get us what we got out of him last year.

AlanTdot
What’s funny is BP doesn’t want to put the D in a bad situation meaning a short field with a mistake from the offence by trying to put point up in the second half. When we get a lead we don’t do much in the second half. When its close BP is putting too much on the D to stop a team for 60 straight min. I rather loose with the offence trying to put points up than not and hoping the d can hold. Our offence is not that good as the number would say. This offence remind me of the D of two year ago yea we were number one d but we were nowhere near the other top D’s. Its not the oline becaues it happen in game where the line has done a good job too. I think its the play calling.

After next week the boys D will b ranked in the top 3, every other team in front of them, besides my one, has already had their bye week. So obviously their stats would b lower or close to what the boys have done with playing an extra week. The bad thing is, the offense is ranked in the top 10 right now, & the same thing will happen, all the other teams will create more yardage & thus move up in total offense rankings. I am just excited to c where the D ranks after this weekend, I know it will b in the top 5, if not top 3!

Hey Cowboy Fans,

Let`s give credit where credit is due. Both Tucker & Pettiti had an excellent game. Was anyone looking at the blocking of our line. I take nothing away from MBIII he looks very good & I am very impressed with his blocking, but JJ would of had a field day with those holes on Sunday. JJ is our man & I think it`s a testament to BP to insist on MBIII in the draft when Jones wanted to wait until a later round. One thing about BP yes he may play conservative sometimes & he also takes a lot of risks, but he does play to win! Sometimes he does play the percentages & when it works he`s a genius, when it doesn`t he labled to conservative. I cannot think of any other coach out there I would rather have. How many coaches can assemble almost an entire new defense, players & scheme with 7 new players ,free agents & rookies & have them playing at this level within the 1st half of the season.To me this man sets the standard of coaching.

cash
Can JJ run inside? I haven’t seen it unless its been a draw.
JJ had about what 819 yards last year in 8 games about 500 came from 3 games so that leaves a little over 300 yards from 5 games. So three games last year JJ looked like a super star. So for 5 game last year and 5 games this year he has looked avg or belong. I think JJ should start but I want to see if he can run inside. JJ hasn’t make a difference this year yet in or out.

I personally do not think JJ is “da man”, he runs very mechanically, & seems almost afraid to make things happen on his own. When MB3 has run the ball the past 2 weeks, besides being a more physical runner than JJ, he also gets the few extra yards by pushing forward for a few extra yards, when JJ was running he did not do that at all! U do not have to agree with me now, just wait till the monday night game & hopefully both will get a good chance to run. MB3 just seems much more instictive when it comes to cutting back on runs & the little things that puts ur team in better positions on 3rd downs!

Whatever the RB status is after the bye week I think we all should come to terms with the possiblility of a debate between Jones and Barber. I totally agree with aw’s comment about most runs inside for jones were draw plays, and that could be a problem down the road.
    I also think we should have this debate becouse last season, we were all freaking out about a rookie running back who might give us a major running game and maybe help turn the team around. Why can’t we give Barber the same credit…he’s come along way and in my opinion looks alot more comfortable with the system. What is it about Barber that is not as convincing as Jones was last season? I am honestly wondering…why aren’t we screaming for Barber to take the job?

Jesse New York
We don’t know what JJ would have done if he played. JJ has a lot to prove one is playing in all the game two is he the answer at RB. Some of those run this past weekend were cut backs, we don’t know if JJ would have saw them or would have just stayed with the his blockers.

Well,I’ll say this much,Barber has shown his ability to run,cut back,block and catch passes,so we’ll have to see if JJ can come back and out do him.Until then JJ is the starter,but Barber looked very good these past two weeks!The bar has been set,let’s see who comes out on top!Nice problem to have…….

I am not saying that this year JJ has not looked as good. The reasons for that maybe varied. BUT I am saying that JJ has done more then Barber ever has- and done it in many more games. Before we annoint a rookie that has had one good game and one very good game- and the week before his good game he STANK- we need tostep back and take a deep breath. This bs about instant stars and get his bust ready for the HOF is STUPID. JJ is faster; Barber is stronger; blocking is about equal; Barber is the better receiver; JJ scares the D a lot more.

emrdog
Its the three games he had last year.

Jesse-You’ve gone too far in stating that TT and Pettiti had excellent games. Pettiti had help and Tucker gave up a sack. If you can shut out a star defensive end without help you’ve had an excellent game. Neither of these guys reached that level. Neither did LA since he gave up a sack. All that being said, they did have a very good game for where they are in development in new positions and I don’t think you could ask for more right now. I am very hopeful that they can produce better games than that.

Burmafrd
JJ had three great games. They have both had bad first games. I don’t care who scars the D more I rather have the production. The top two rushing games belong to MB and he also has the longest run too. I’m not saying MB is the man but I’m not saying JJ is either. JJ needs to step up because MB is trying to……

Sean,

TTUcker had a great game.
If BBerry isn’t the best pass rushing End in the NFC right now then he is one of the top three. All he got against Tucker was 1 sack. ( I think the refs blew a call of pass interference on the call but …)

The other sack was a blitz and Berry beat LA.

Tucker turned Berry into a non factor. We didn’t have to change what we were doing cause of what he was doing.

Keeping Berry in check until late in the third is a massive game. Read Rafs comments, Tucker didn’t get a lot of help during the game.

Tucker took a whole lot of crap here in preseason, give him his due.

We are definately getting better!but i’m alittle disappointed with Price,maybe we can get him more involved…….

Alan-You say great, I say very good, Jesse says excellent. In my book excellence was Eric Williams before his accident or Tui in his prime. My scale: Excellent=mauling/owning the guy, Very good=neutralizing/stalemate your opponent for most of the game.

 These guys are doing very well and in the only opinion that really matters is expressed by BP giving Tucker a big bear hug in the locker room after the game. From what Spags said Tucker just lit up from that encouragement. Tucker deserved the grief in preseason because his head wasn’t right with ball and deserved what he got then and also deserves the praise he’s getting now.

All this talk about MBIII after playing the CARDINALS?

Need a little perpective here.

Sean,

I didn’t see that you said he had a very good game.

I really liked what I saw from him. Quick feet, long arms, gave ground too easily at times, solid run blocking , definately high on the AA – Athletic Ability – scale..

Which leads me to ask, how did he lose to Pettitti in Training camp?

He looks better than Pettitti right now. Wouldn’t it be great if the light went on for him and Pettitti, and James, and Barber all in the same month?

Whether you guys like it or not MB3 is getting some playing time. Just get inside Parcells’ mind—-he talked very good about Barber at Monday’s press confernce…and this is a guy who doesn’t give complements. Also, think about the Parcells lingo—-“you are what you are”…“what have you done for me lately”…“I’m going to put in the guy who gives us the best chance to win”…So go ahead and let Barber and Jones duke it out for the job. I’m sorry for doubting Jones, but the guy is hurt too much…mental toughness my friends !!!

Alan-The word on Tucker is terrific skillset but loses focus. Remember all the false starts he had last year, always seemed to be at the worst time. I hope he matures and grows from the setback this year of losing his position to a rookie. He has tons of potential but needs to mature. Bp seems to have him on the right track now and LA has him on “choker leash”(BP quote). Also, according to BP, LA reassigned Tucker’s meeting room seat to right next to him so he could help keep him focused(maybe applying some of the same instruction he did to Cortez). If this guy could get just a little bit mean he would be dangerous but right now he seems mostly like a big kid. I do like to hear about LA taking a leadership role dispite his quiet nature.

Cash,

Maybe not. He also didn’t make many yards inside all year. Our best run inside all year .. was Barber’s 1st TD. Hands down.

Parcells called Barber’s play a “lift” to his teammates. Ala Emmitt Smith! You just don’t mess around when your team is forming this type of chemistry.

I don’t get the argument over who’s better – JJ or MBIII. Who cares who is better. They are both different runners which is good because a change in pace is what this team needs. We don’t need two JJs or two MBIIIs. All we need is for them both to be productive. Let’s play both, keep inserting Thompson when there is an opportunity and then let them run with fresh legs to run out the game.

Kevin…come on, enough with that…the reason people are up on Barber now is becouse Jones HAS NOT been productive so far t his season. I’m not saying cut Jones or anything but…come on, did you see Barber? Have you seen Jones run that well since the monday night game in seattle last year??? didn’t think so…

SeanR,

Barber gets in there and all of a sudden â€Å"the offensive line is playing better”. Why take a step back? Regardless of why they are playing better with Barber lined up in the back field … they are.

Did you watch the Seattle game? Funny that Barber’s ‘lift’ didn’t work on the offensive line or the quarterback for that game.

Joey2zs,

… Tyson Thompson and Anthony Thomas wouldâ€â"¢ve had the same day against the Cardinals that MBIII did.

Thomas didn’t make it into the game, but Thompson did. He looked just as good as Barber, until they yanked him because he was making mental errors.

aw,

Actually, that was the Saints game. Not much of a ‘road game’. So you may have a point there.

Let’s try that one again.

aw,

Why did I say a mess is because I think they only won one game on the road so far …

Actually, that was the Saints game. Not much of a ‘road game’. So you may have a point there.

emrdog,

… What is it about Barber that is not as convincing as Jones was last season? I am honestly wondering…why arenâ€â"¢t we screaming for Barber to take the job?

Wouldn’t Barber need to be MORE convincing than Jones to take his job away?

I find it incomprehensible that some would change starters after one good day by a running back. As aw is fond of pointing out, Jones’ THREE good games were not against good run defenses, but they were THREE good games not ONE, all of them were better than Barber’s game against the Cardinals, and no one has ever confused the Cardinals with a good defense.

Can we not just enjoy the fact that we might have two very good running backs? Why would that be some kind of a problem that must be ‘fixed’ today?

Mr. Bill,
  Did I say get rid of Jones? H*ll No!!! I like the POTENTIAL of Barber’s running, I like the INTANGIBLES of Barber’s running…At this point get rid of jones??? No way…but I’m telling you Mr. Bill and all of you…there is no reason Barber can’t be the main back down the road, he has the POTENTIAL…he cuts better than jones, he’s quicker off the snap, he actually catches the ball, he finds the seam better, he’s maybe as strong as Jones…Mr. Bill, the tape doesn’t lie. Watch barber run…just watch him run, not what team he’s playing just how he runs, then watch Jones…

aw,

Sure JJ can run inside. He hasn’t been very effective doing it though. Our biggest problem in our losses has been not being able to grind the ball and pick up first downs late in the game.

I just liked the idea of playing ONE RB the whole game, spelling him for only a bit.

I never liked this splitting time stuff. I understand the whole “keep them fresh” idea, but I don’t think that works quite the same for RB’s as it does for say, defensive lineman.

I think we’re gonna committee ourselves out of what can be a prolific running back performance, be it Jones or Barber OR Thompson (Don’t forget that kid). That’s why I’m concerned about this apparant emergence of Barber. I fear that this will only encourage parcells to play ‘em both equally, and I just don’t think that helps a RB get a feel for what’s going on out there, in general.

Although Barber was pretty much explosive from the start of Sunday’s game….

Dallas beat San Diego straight up — no fluke. Both teams are better than their records show thus far.

San Diego lost to Philadelphia on a fluke play — they were kicking a field goal for insurance, and saw a 10-point swing on one play when it was run back for a TD. They should be 5-3, with no shame in losing to Pittsburgh, Denver, or Dallas, top teams all.

Dallas is 5-3, and deserves to be. A good young defense blew late leads against Washington and Seattle when a talented offense failed to put them away. I think that a rapidly maturing Dallas defense won’t make those kind of mistakes in the 2nd half of the season, and the offense will become as adept at scoring as they are at moving the ball. Unfortunately, the 2nd half schedule is pretty brutal for the Cowboys. 10-6 might have to be good enough to make the playoffs, where they would be a threat.

San Diego has the best running back and tight end in the game, and was coming off a big year last year. The slate isn’t clean on opening day — everyone thought they would do well.

Expectations were lower for Dallas, since they struggled last year. I even saw one national columnist say the Cowboys’ defense would be a weakness this year — I guess he missed the draft and the preseason games.

The good news is, media love doesn’t matter much in week 8. Get in the playoffs and make some noise, and people will notice when it counts.

Bill Parcells said it himself……….look around the league at RB and find guys that are with the same team and healhty for 5 years………..uh……..lets see……….Curtis Martin, Warrick Dunn(2 teams), Alexander, and then it gets tougher………..LT is only 4 years in……..but lets lump him in there……….then you get…….uh lets see………Fred Taylor? Priest Holmes?

It is hard to find a guy in the same backfield. It may never happen again with free agency being what it is. He is correct you cannot have enough good running backs………..Denver is on pace for 2 1000 yard rushers……not an easy feat………..Atlanta got close………but running back by committee is pretty popular around the league………

I think the nice thing is we can let AT go………we don’t need a vet if MBIII continues his improvment. Maybe TT can get in there a little too and continue to improve. If that is the case we could have 3 could TBs. A true FB in Polite……….and put another LB or T on the roster instead of AT.

Tyson Thompson ain’t exactly going to hurt the cap and JJ and MB are both on 4 or 5 year deals. So we got em under wraps for a few years…….I don’t see JJ holding out for more money.

We can hopefully skip looking for another rb in next years draft and fill the OLB, FS, WR, and T positions that need improvement.

Fujita showed some good play. We now have Ware, Fujita, Burnett, and Ogbogu at OLB. Fujita is so far doing a good job not sure how he will do as a starter……..but Burnett should work in a little undersized for Outside……but he should make up for it with his speed. Bradie James is continuing to improve…….funny how he stepped up with Dat hurt…….maybe he was used to standing around and Watching Dat make all the plays……..lol……….

we got a tough Nov set of games after two full weeks off and then a Monday at Philly then we got Det on Sunday and Denver on Turkey day……..that is a lot of football………..I hope we can knock out Philly early like last time………and do the same to Detroit.

Denver is playing pretty good football and gave NYG all they wanted on the road. I would not expect any less from em here. Bell and Anderson are good rbs and Jake can air it out……..althought inconsistent……..that will be a tough football game. Even if we are good on Turkey Day……..hope we can get pressure and rattle Jake.

a few days rest after Turkey day and some time to heal wounds before the rest of the season………while it hurts you on the short week……….the extra rest is beneficial and almost like another bye week……….we could be in good shape for the rest of the season and the rest of the NFC East on the road………to finish up the year strong!

I think DC will collapse. They might be the worst 4-3 team……..LOL…..but you don’t hear anybody saying that…….still I don’t buy their offense………the got lucky with 2 bombs to Moss………that won’t happen again.

Jon,

WTF?

Do you type really fast or what!?! I am sure there are good points in there but the only post most people here are going to read comes from Raf Vela.

Emmit did not provide a lift or spark his team. Role players provide sparks and provide lifts. Emmit was the dependable hammer with which the Cowboys beat their opponents in to submission.

Neither of these guys are all that. No knock on them, most guys arenâ€â"¢t. Players like that do not come around very often

If they play their best JJ is the better back. Not only is he fast with the potential to hit homeruns, but he makes the first defender miss. And to whoever said â€Å"I do not care about who the defense fears”, well you should. When a defense fears you will be asked to run against more eight man fronts which means you get more man on man coverage for your wide outs. That limits your personal production and increases your teams production. Statistics do not lie, but they do deceive.

There were a lot of games where Emmit was the real MVP of the game but only had 70 yards of 25 carries and no TD. He caused the defense to focus on him so much that the TE and wide outs never had to deal with complex zones with six or seven defenders dropping back.

Also it is ridiculous to talk about a lack of toughness when being held out due to a high sprain or a broken bone. These are not shoulder separations or stingers that you can bear though. When a RB wheels do not work they cannot run not matter how tough they are.

Early in the year and at training camp I was questioning the MBIII pick. I felt it was the one miss they had in the draft and that TT would win out as the backup. After the last few games and watching how TT carries the rock in traffic I really like the pick. He is a fundamentally sound player who lacks any outstanding weaknesses or strengths. He makes a fine backup RB and could grow into a average starter in this league.

One last thing….People please stop comparing backup first year running backs to Emmit Smith or Barry Sanders until they earn at least a couple of Probowls and dominate opponents in the playoffs.

Trey Says:
November 1st, 2005 at 5:17 pm

Emmit did not provide a lift or spark his team. Role players provide sparks and provide lifts. Emmit was the dependable hammer with which the Cowboys beat their opponents in to submission.

Nice words.

Trey-Maybe he didn’t provide a lift or spark but he carried the team to get into the playoffs with his separated shoulder.

rich:
This is real football, not fantasy, stats aren’t the most important thing in football, and a RB can get tired. How many times did Emmith looked tired in 4th Qtrs in the late 90’s, you all need to remember that year in which Chris Warren started giving breathers to Emmith, when Warren was hired rumour was that Emmith wasn’t happy, by midseason he was glad.

All I know is JJ has looked good in 3 games out of 13. he looked ok in the first game and the philly game. In 8 games he has looked no better than Hambrick. Those three games last year gets him to start this year but if he doesn’t start playing better they wont get him to start next year. Sometimes its not about who is better but who styles fits better.

Give me one good RB that shared time in his prime???
Trey
Many games Emmitt had 70 on 25 carries and they won I dont think so not in the early to mid 90s.

aw,

maybe we don’t have a rb who is in his prime.

We have one rb who could turn out to be Very good at the beginning of his career, and another who could be very good at the absolute beginning of his career.

Neither is in their prime, so sharing time isn’t a bad thing right now.

News:

Ratliff and Singleton on IR. Atrain released. T. Dixon and L. Scott signed. (maybe means w. pile injury more severe?).

AlanTdot
RB need carries to get into a groove. Who ever it is need about 20 carries a game. If JJ is the man he will get 20 plus carries as he has been doing. BP says he wants to spread the carries but when has he done it??? The only time he has done it is when someone can carry the load.

Rob-Are you pulling my leg about T. Dixon as in Tony Dixon???

Barber didn’t need but 2 carries to get in the groove Sunday.

Why is that name “tony Dixson” so familar???

If we signed Scott and Dixon our coverage teams just got a lot better but I’m sure I’m comfortable with the safety depth. Probably the best available and a known quantity.

emrdog-he was a failed draft pick of ours

emrdog-he was a failed draft pick of ours

DC.com says we worked out Verba as well

If they are looking at Verba that may mean Noll and Peterman are not going to work out as backup tackles. My knee-jerk reaction right now is that Verba could help us if he would accept a modest contract. He’s coming off the street so he doesn’t have a lot of bargaining power. I would also hope that he wakes up and keeps his nose clean if he plans to make a living playing football. If Tucker or Pettiti went down we would be in a great deal of trouble.

More tackle depth would be good. Verba certainly is the biggest “name” out there. Not sure if that translates into the best player though.

My guess is that Pile and Henry are struggling a bit with their groin injuries. Reeves would presumably move into the nickle if Henry were out. (Glenn to start) We would be very thin at safety if Pile is out and Reeves is the nickle. So Scott and Dixon come back. Sure.

A-Train’s departure means that JJ is healthy, Barber can play, and Thompson isn’t too far off either. What did Parcells say on Monday about not being able to have enough running backs? Uh, I guess maybe he can.

With an open roster spot, I’d guess Verba or a linebacker seem in order. That a linebacker was not mentioned tells me that Burnett may be ready to play.

Gonna miss Ratcliff. The guy looks like a keeper. But it opens the door for Pepper Johnson. I guess we will see if he can play at this level.

Isnt Verba already in his 30’s. I mean maybe bring him in as a backup, but if Peterman and Noll are not working out as backups that is a lot of high failed picks on the O-line(dont forget Rodgers) and is just another need we are going to have ging in to next year. When they were blowing out the cardinals why not spell some of the guys on the line with these two, to at least give them some reps.

Verba may have his ego in check. This is a guy that could really help long term (meaning next year as well).

You’ve got to figure that OT and Safety are the two areas (3 positions) that could really use an upgrade. A combo of FAs and draft picks could make the same competition that created a now full backfield.

Reeves is dinged up as well.

Verba is mid-career…not on the downside

Rogers won’t be back…he was released injured, but stays on the IR until healthy (so that he gets paid).

Trey,

You don’t think Emmit Smith provided a lift for the Cowboy’s when he would play hurt? Part of what made Emmit so valuable was his heart and determination, if you think playing with a seperated shoulder, in a game that meant winning the division then you have a different concept inspiration than I do.

Wow! Dixon and Scott back!A-train being released wasn’t news though.We all knew that was coming.His Eddie George type plodding wasn’t going to cut it with our new stable of horses at running back.Ratlif will be missed,I liked him,he was always around the ball.In any event,strange twists……

davv-Noll and Peterman are guards that they were experimenting with at tackle. I wouldn’t give up on them yet. And davv you bring up another point-why not let Romo take a few mop up snaps against Arizona???

Trey,

Emmitt ignited the 90’s teams all the time. Remember 0-2? The number of times the team was flat, and Emmitt just busts off 2-3 big runs? Emmitt ran the rock with emotion. That often gave the team a spark. .. Coming off a heart breaking last second loss is much like starting the season 0-2. The team’s moral was down, and Barber gave the team a lift.

Trey,

Emmitt ignited the 90’s teams all the time. Remember 0-2? The number of times the team was flat, and Emmitt just busts off 2-3 big runs? Emmitt ran the rock with emotion. That often gave the team a spark. .. Coming off a heart breaking last second loss is much like starting the season 0-2. The team’s moral was down, and Barber gave the team a lift.

emrdog,

If you want to claim that Barber will become the better running back, you will get no argument from me. You are certainly entitled to that opinion. I don’t see it, myself, but, if it happens I will welcome it, not cry about it.

My only argument is that it is much too soon to be proclaiming that Barber is better based on what we have seen thus far.

Barber and Jones have only played in 3 games together, till now, and two of those were in preseason. In those two preseason games, Jones had the better rushing average in each. In the one regular season game, against Oakland, Barber was yanked after his second carry after he FAILED to hit the designated hole on a critical 3rd-down play. It’s not much of a sample to draw on, but it is what it is.

Mr. Bill,

164 yards rushing to a team that is really good at home isn’t chicken feed. Atlanta (one of the best rushing teams) rushed for 116 at Seatle, and two other teams had something like 60 and 87 yards. So Dallas’ 164 wasn’t so bad, neither was Barber’s 94. .. Last week was his first start too. The first time the offense prepared with the expectations of him being the featured back. .. To me another thing that was really impressive about Barber is he gets yards on rushing downs. Julius gets a heck of a lot of yards when teams are playing the pass. In the 13 games JJ played you never got the feel that Dallas took over the game with their rushing attack. Barber is 1 for 1 in his starts.

davv,

Isnt Verba already in his 30â€â"¢s. I mean maybe bring him in as a backup, but if Peterman and Noll are not working out as backups that is a lot of high failed picks on the O-line …

That may or may not be true, but both Peterman and Noll are guards, not tackles. Noll has practiced at tackle, but that is obviously not his best position. [Noll was not drafted by us.] Peterman has never practiced at tackle. These positions are not interchangeable.

Mr.Bill-That was my bad indicating that Peterman had practiced at tackle. Came out wrong. I’m just not ready to give up on them yet. It takes a couple years for lineman to develop. Not like a RB that can flash early.

EricR,

… So Dallasâ€â"¢ 164 wasnâ€â"¢t so bad, neither was Barberâ€â"¢s 94. …

When did I say it was bad? In fact, I complimented Barber for what he showed in that game. Don’t make me out as some kind of Barber-basher. That’s not me!

… The teamâ€â"¢s moral was down, and Barber gave the team a lift.

I agree, he did give the offense a lift by his early play in the Arizona game. What I want to know is what happened in the Seattle game? Where was the ‘lift’? I’ll tell you where. It was buried by ineffective line play and poor quarterback play.

… Last week was his first start too. The first time the offense prepared with the expectations of him being the featured back. …

So, now you are claiming that the entire offense was somehow buoyed by the mere thought of Marion Barber starting the game! That is some imagination you have there.

Hey! If a player is going to give a team a ‘lift’, why does it have to be when he starts?

Let’s not try to turn Barber into some kind of magical player who can carry an entire team on his back. He’s a good running back. But, as Bill Parcells said, let’s not ‘anoint’ him as anything beyond that until he proves it over time.

What is really amazing is that during the offseason people were ready to ‘anoint’ Julius Jones as the next Emmitt Smith. Now there are people who are trampling over Jones to raise Marion Barber onto a pedestal after a good game against Arizona. It is ALL patently absurd.

I checked, Verba turned 32 yesterday. he is 6’4" and 308 on an old roster. He has to know he is missing his prime years to earn a big paycheck.

Bad press is good for the rookies
It doesn’t go to their heads and it ensures they play harder so they get noticed. The inevitable letdown game after we win 3 or 4 games in a row will be ugly.

Alright then gmz, I’ll do my part-all these rookies suck!! Does that help?

Hey I just saw an AP article in my local paper where they rank the teams in the NFC based on who they think has the best shot at the Super Bowl, and the ranking went like this:

Contenders(in order of Super Bowl chances): Carolina, Atlanta, DALLAS, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Washington

Outside Chance: St. Louis, Detroit

No Way: Minnesota, Green Bay, New Orleans, San Francisco, Arizona

Hey this is pretty good, guys. Atlanta and Carolina are pretty good company to keep, and I think we have the talent to upset Carolina when we play them, and Atlanta when we play them in the NFC Title Game. But I’m getting ahead of myself………………

Sean,

Verba thinks he’s worth a big contract because he played left tackle last year in Cleveland. There are NO cheap left tackles of any quality. That being said, he’s better suited to play guard than left tackle. Not sure he realizes that though.

Mr. Bill,

Please refrain from twisting my words. You highlight parts of a full thought. My comments on Barber’s first start was ended with the fact that his effectiveness as “the guy”/“the starter” is 1 for 1, as compared with Julius’ 0 for.

The “lift” was his emotional running, not just effective running. Usually a “lift” comes at a low time, a flat time. The Cowboys were coming off the two biggest wins of the season heading to Seatle. The team needed a “spark” going into Seatle? .. After the tough emotional loss in Seatle, Barber’s play was inspiring.

As far as “people annointing” Julius Jones the next Emmitt Smith. Well, I have been saying for a long time that this team needs to be tougher. I said it when JJ was playing. Now I see a tough player at that position, and I am a bit excited about it. I don’t see anyone here annointing Barber as anything, but the starting RB for the Dallas Cowboys. .. Power rushing, with emotion, its the way I learned to love the game.

hey ya’ll

sportsline.com has BIG D in the powerpoll at number 8. San Diego is at 15.

looks like the mediots are watching

Chargers may have been given special attention because their first half schedule was so tough. Hearing about tough Charger losses beats hearing the same old McNabb/Owens soap opera.
The Cowboys aren’t completely under most radar, though. After Seattle, Tom Jackson said “they look like one of the best teams in the NFC, but they keep losing these close games”. Mike Ditka said he’d wait until they beat Seattle before declaring them a true contender. The Seatlle loss may not have changed anyone’s mind very much, but I never heard Ditka say anything about the loss after.
This week, other stories were easier for them to write about, with the Giants’ inspirational win, Brett Favre looking down and out in Cincinnatti, and the Broncos’ 500+ yards. Even Joe Vitt’s cancelled angioplasty and Mike Martz’s heart valve infection required stories.
To me, a story that was interesting, because it was hardly mentioned, was Eli Mannning’s mediocre passing day. The week before, the story was that Eli had arrived. This week, he regressed, on a day when 197 yards from his running back presumably would have helped, rather than hinder, Eli’s passing.
But it was really just business as usual. Everyone’s on the wagon, and then everyone’s off the wagon.
Week One, it was all Cadillac.
Their opinions would have been so much more valuable if they all hadn’t predicted that the Vikings would squash the Bucs(and the Cadillac), hardly mentioned before the opening Sunday.
The best choice for me is just to laugh at them.

Forgot to say, Chris: No, Jones shouldn’t be backing up Barber. Barber should be the quarterback, with Jones and Thompson his Wishbone running backs. Cowboys should rest Bledsoe until the Super Bowl.

Lee:
I want some of what you’re smoking…

We were too quick to judge Jones, and we’re saying Barber should start after 2 games? Jones would have ripped the Cardinals too, and the defenses respect him more. Hes the starter. I think his ankle or something else has been bothering him this year. But hes still the starter. Before the season you guys annointed him the next biggest star RB. After 7 games (4 for JJ?) its MBIII who should take the reigns? I would give JJ 20-25 carries and MBIII 10-15.

Chandus:
It’s only good, healthy Coca Cola, and of course I’m drinking it, not smoking it.
You just have no imagination.

EricR,

Please refrain from twisting my words. You highlight parts of a full thought. …

So, please explain what you meant by that ‘part of a full thought’.

… My comments on Barberâ€â"¢s first start was ended with the fact that his effectiveness as â€Å"the guy”/”the starter” is 1 for 1, as compared with Juliusâ€â"¢ 0 for.

Here’s another one you are going to have to explain. ‘0 for’? ‘0 for what’? Certainly not 0-for-wins with Jones as a starter. Nor even ‘effective’ play in a win as ‘the guy’. Jones started the Philadelphia game, and was more than ‘effective’ during the first half when Dallas built its big lead. If you don’t want people to misinterpret your words, you need to tighten up on your facts, your thought process, your writing … or something. [By the way, if you intend to claim that Jones was not effective against the Eagles, please be prepared to argue why 70 yards in a half is not effective running. You might also want to check on what the score was when Jones left with his injury, and compare it to the final result.]

The â€Å"lift” was his emotional running, not just effective running. Usually a â€Å"lift” comes at a low time, a flat time. The Cowboys were coming off the two biggest wins of the season heading to Seatle. The team needed a â€Å"spark” going into Seatle? …

Maybe not going into the game. But Barber did not start that game. Thomas did. By the time Barber came in, the Cowboys had already begun their poor play. They certainly needed a ‘lift’ at that point, because that offense was about as ‘low’ and ‘flat’ as it could get. And, Barber played quite well. Yet, it didn’t matter, did it? So, where was that ‘spark’ when it was needed at Seattle? As I stated before, a player doesn’t have to start to provide an emotional lift to a team. NFL history is replete with stories of players who have come in off the bench and turned a game around practically single handed. So, again, where was it?

… Now I see a tough player at that position, and I am a bit excited about it. …

No problem there. I’m excited about the same thing.

I donâ€â"¢t see anyone here annointing Barber as anything, but the starting RB for the Dallas Cowboys.

Well, that is exactly the issue here, isn’t it? Other than the fact that you prefer his style, Barber has done nothing to displace Jones at this point. You need to keep the lid on your ‘oils’ for a little while longer.

… Power rushing, with emotion, its the way I learned to love the game.

OK. One can argue about styles, but what’s the point? If that’s your preference, you have every right to hold it. [Just curious, though, did you ever watch Tony Dorsett play?] At any rate, just as soon as that ‘power rusher’ shows that he is actually BETTER than Jones, he will get to start. That hasn’t even remotely happened yet.

My take on the Dixon and Scott signings is that while it does add to our depth at safety, it was done mostly to improve our special teams.

In his last press conference, Parcells complained about our punt coverage. Dixon and Scott are both excellent special-teams players. Also, with Singleton on IR, Fujita (who has been playing a lot of special teams) will have to take over almost full time at strong outside linebacker (SAM). Parcells will want to reduce his special-teams reps. Then, if Henry can’t play, Glenn replaces him and Reeves probably is added to the nickel. That might remove Reeves from some special teams. Finally, Pile (another special-teams player) is also dinged up, and might not be able to take on both safety and special-teams duties. It all adds up to short-term needs (at least) on special teams.

I also think we might have signed different players if we were just looking for safety help.

Hi Everybody!

In keeping with your post here, may I add:

The Houston Oilers are the best NFL team in non-existence right now.

Thank you.

OT

AlanTdot ,

Thanks

AW,

There were numerous games that the Cowboys where Emmit ran for 70 yards while he was in his prime. His best years were 1991-1999. In that time he ran for 13,000 yards in 141 games. A average of 92 yards a game. Even in his best season he averaged 110 yards a game. Considering that the Eagles were kind enough to let him truck over them for 150-200 twice a season there are a number of 70 yard games mixed in there. In 1995, statisticly his best year on four occasions he was held to less then 70 yards. They won 3 of those games. The fouth was the Superbowl over Pittsburg where Emmit was held to 49 yards on 18 carries.

One of the keys to Dallas success was that the defence had to commit 8 or Emmit was going to get his. Frequently the defense sent 8 and Emmitt still got his.

Cash & EricR

Yes I agree that Emmitt inspired his teammates. Running for 150+ yards verse a great defense with your shoulder seperated while granting your teammates a much needed by and then carring your team to another SB was one of the greatest performances I have ever seen.

Maybe its just symantics, but to me thats carring the team which is different then giving them a lift. MBIII provided a lift. A second string QB comming in and throwing a game winner is a lift. Emmit or Michael Jordan do something more.

I like the roster moves.

I really like the fact that the Cowboys are not sitting on a mistake just because itâ€â"¢s their mistake. Cutting A-train despite the guaranteed contract, to bring in a special team player was a bold move.

I think Al Singleton will be missed more then most fans think. He is not a play maker; but he is a solid role player who does his job consistently. A nice guy to have in the rotation.

Itâ€â"¢s a bummer losing J. Ratliff for the year. He has been a nice rotation for the D-Line. I hope they can keep him next year. I think I remember reading that being a 7th round pick they signed him to a one year contract. If so he could decide to walk to a team where he is not fighting to be the 7th or 8th lineman.

I sure hope Henny is not too hurt. The two starting CB are key to so much of what Dallas is doing on defense. They would not be able to reuse the game plan they used verse Philly earlier without him.

A. Henry has a partially torn groin. They are supposedly trying to get him ready for Philly.

Trey,

No arguement here. You are right on with “carry a team” and giving them a “lift”.

Mr. Bill,

I don’t think its my writing or anyone else’s. One sentence or phrase doesn’t always carry the full thought. You don’t understand that you need to read the entire paragraph to get the whole idea?

Barber’s “lift” in the Seatle game? They were leading from the point of his first series. Leading for the better part of 4 quarters on the road, especially against a good home team, isn’t exactly a flat team. … Emmitt had bad games. The Cowboys lost road games with #22 starting at RB, but he always seemed to bust off an emotional run, when the team really needed it. Dallas really needed a shot in the arm this Sunday, and Barber provided it.

The “0 for”? Julius most effective game was the comeback win against Seatle last year. He has won the team games with his feet. In terms of me getting the feeling that the running game beat a team into submision, Barber is 1 for 1, and Julius is 0 for whatever. IMO this Arizona win was the first win in a long time, that I felt that the offensive line emposed their will on a defense via the running game. .. Against Philly, the big passes got the Cowboys the lead. The running game complimented that well. In this game the passing game complimented the rushing attack. At least in my opinion.

Some people have never liked JJ and have been looking for a reason to dump on him. AW Ericr and a few others. Some like Me think JJ could be an ALL PRO RB and are big fans. Untill Marion Barber does something like the Seattle game of last year, then he is not as good as JJ. Simple as that. JJ already has 3 GAMES BETTER THEN the best Barber has done. Untill Barber can do something like that, he is not as good as JJ. Facts are facts, no matter how much emotion or enthusiasm may try and cloud it.
I have flat out admitted that JJ has not looked as quick or as aggressive this year, and have given my reasons why I think this has happened. Bulked up is one, stupid BP BS is the other. Maybe a combination of both.
Hopefully when JJ comes back he ignores BP’s BS and runs to daylight. If that is the case – AND THE O LINE CONTINUES TO RUN BLOCK LIKE IT HAS IN THE LAST 3 GAMES- we will see if JJ still has that spark that terrified D’s late last season. If not, then Barber does become more likely to start. But I happen to think that even without that spark JJ is still the better RUNNING back; barber the better 3rd down back.
By the way, did you miss the NO game last year when JJ carried a 250 lb LB into the endzone. THAT was tough running.

Trey:

According to the NFLPA website, Ratliff signed a 3-year deal, all 3 for the minimun ($230K in 2005, $310K in 2006 and $385K in 2007).

Burmafrd,

When did I say “I never liked Julius Jones”? Tell me when!! … I am a Notre Dame fan and was in love with the idea to draft Jones. He is explosive, and I saw him keep a bad Irish team in a game against the best team in college football, all by himself. So please don’t put words in my mouth.

The facts are what they are. Jones has been injured 40% of his pro career. With JJ, Dallas has yet to bury a team with a second half rushing attack. Nothing in the middle of the field with him, unless its a draw on 3rd and long. You tell me, when was the last time Julius converted a 3rd and short? How effective has he been in those situations?

Its my preferance to have a RB that goes North-South. Julius hasn’t been that yet, and Barber’s style was an almost immediate spark to this teammates.

Barber is tough, and the team responded to that. … There are a bunch of players in the NFL that don’t have unbelievable physical talent that simply play with emotion. Zack Thomas, Steve Smith, even Tom Brady didn’t warrant high draft consideration. Get them on the field and you just have that sense that they believe, and make their teammates believe, “we aren’t loosing today!!!” Emmitt Smith and Ray Lewis are great players that play with great emotion. Barber made plays .. WITH EMOTION!! … And I said it right after the San Diego win, and the San Fran win, that this team needs to get one of those “emotional leaders”. Its one thing to sack a quarterback or get a 25 yard TD run, its another thing when the style and heart you put into your play inspires your teammates to play better!!

Burmafrd
First off when did I say I didn’t like JJ?? Get your fact right show me some quotes?? I look more than just the numbers. I question is JJ the answer at RB and that means I don’t like him. I have said it time and time again JJ should start when he gets back but if he doesn’t step it up he shouldn’t start. I don’t know if MB is the answer, I need more. But from what I have seen from MB is he can run inside and I haven’t seen that from JJ yet. I look at all of the games JJ has played and he has been hit or miss. He had three great game last year. It looks like MB can make all the runs but I can’t say that about JJ right now.

Trey
49 yards in the SB on 18 carries I don’t know about that one but I could be wrong. I’m sure Emmitt had bad games but it wasn’t the norm, everybody tried to stop him not just sometimes. You don’t even have stats are just guessing he had to of have many bad games

Burmafrd

“Some like Me think JJ could be an ALL PRO RB and are big fans. Until Marion Barber does something like the Seattle game of last year, then he is not as good as JJ. Simple as that.”

First off Hambrick had a game with 189 yards is he as good as JJ? My point is anybody can go off for a nice game. I look at how they get the yards. Last year is gone look at this year…….

Eric R I guess you want to convienently forget the LIFT JJ gave the team last year. Made the so called lift Barber gave look like nothing.
AW You said anyone can have a nice game- finally glad you saw the light.
Barber had a nice game. Now do it about 3 more times before you annoint him.

By the way AW- if you cannot use last year then you cannot use Emmitt either. After all, he is THE PAST to you.

RAF, RAUL

New Thread?

This just from Spags- Verba is still an abrasive jack-ass that thinks he is worth $5mil. Sounds like they will sign another spare tackle.

Burmafrd
I’m not using emmitt for anything. You don’t even know what you are talking about. Why should JJ start??? I haven’t even said he shouldn’t start all I say is I don’t know if he is the answer at RB. Unlike you I look at every game JJ has been in and I need to see more before I say he is the man. Have you seen him run inside besides it being a draw? One thing MB can do thing JJ can’t. JJ can do things MB can’t. JJ hasnt done anything this year yet. But I need to see more of MB before I say he is the man.

I have seen JJ run inside- but unless there is blocking- which has been rare- no back is going to get much there. Barber is no Bettis or Campbell- he is not going make holes. He probably is somewhat better running inside- but so what? That is only a small part of what a running game requires.
I have video of just about every rush that JJ has done for the last 2 years.
Have you looked at every rush he has made? I have. that is why I early on was worried this year about the lack of quickness and willingness to take chances (BP again). I worried about the bulking up; and the constant carrying of the ball with both hands unlike last year. Those are examples of BP messing JJ up. The Bulking up was on orders of the strength coach- BP approved it. So YES I BLAME BP for the changes for the worse in JJ’s play. Not to mention the lousy run blocking through the first 4 games.
Only from Philthy on has there been GOOD run blocking. And you seem to want to forget the 70 yds JJ had in THE FIRST HALF when the game was decided against Philthy. Getting rolled from behind was the worse piece of luck JJ has had so far- even worse then the broken shoulder blade (Singleton got one too- seems strange to have two players in only one year to have the same injury) since that made BP play Eddie and it showed once and for all that he was no longer worth the playing time; then JJ came back and smoked people. JJ ran well in the redzone down near the goal line- if you gave him any kind of a seam or crack he was through. JJ now needs to forget the crap BP has been feeding him and run the way he did last year- BP said not ONE THING last year about negative runs. He should remember that and shut up about it. I blame JJ in that he is taking BP too seriously- to the detriment of his career and the teams success. the bulking up part is not for sure- just seems likely that that might have something to do with not seeming as quick. Luckily that can be remedies.

Alan,

Raf is busy on Wed…………..Maybe you would take the time to type fast and write a long lengthy piece worthy of entertaining us all.

Burmafrd
MB running inside and JJ running inside is not close. MB has better hands too. MB has the longest run this year by only 3 yards but it is what it is. You haven’t told me why JJ should start? JJ is not no I will say hasn’t been able to get tough yards, I want someone that can make all the runs not just some. Before MB started playing I was saying JJ hasn’t ran it up against a good team yet. I will take someone that can do it all well over someone take can do one thing real well. I need to see more from JJ and don’t blame BP, JJ has his own mind. The way to change BP mind is to go out there and put up numbers. I would let JJ start and see what he can do. If you have all the games JJ has played how many of this big runs came off that draw? That is a good play but I don’t that to be my RB’s only play…

Raf,

I agree with you its all about perception especially with
espn.I think we all give them far too much credit for the
reporting of hard sports news.
Look at their playing up of BP pushing T. Haley.Espn promoed
it throughout SportsCenter Sun into Mon.but saved it to the last 10
min. of the show which few people watch.Perception B.P. is a Bully.

The reason you don’t hear the mediots talking about the “young”
cowboys is because the perception in the media is B.P. doesn’t
play rookies or young players so the cowboys in their mind are
an old team filled with B.P. “guys” read older players who can’t
get it done.

So much of the mediots coverage is based on flash look at the
wideouts .Would the media have covered Joe horn,T.O. or Chad
Johnson without the outrageous TD celebrations ???
I doubt it !!
Even Steve Smith ( we as cowboy fans know what a good
W.O.he is) had to do the td dance to get some recognition
as a top tier W.O..

Espn has made it clear they are moving away from
decent sports coverage with Crap like cold pizza
espn Hollywood etc.

A friend of mine was watching a game where the announcers
were saying that the eagles were one teams that is noted
trying to steal other teams signals.I wonder if that is why they
picked up Cortez???

MSNBC reports that T. owens is hurt and may miss the next two games.

Jon,

That’s funny. Touche

How bad is Henry’s torn groin. That is very troubling..

Only a few of his big runs came off the draw. His biggest was a sweep. Most of the rest of his 20+ yd runs were sweeps as well. the Draw worked real well for seattle, but most of his draw runs were 6-10 yds. the only two real good draw runs were the last 2 at seattle. That and the big one at Chicago. why in the world we were not running draws early on this season baffled a lot of people.

“the announcers were saying that the eagles were one team that is noted
trying to steal other teams signals. I wonder if that is why they
picked up Cortez?”

Would Cortez have been made aware of offensive and defensive signals?

kickers on a team for less than a year……..arent going to know a whole lot. He has 4 maybe 5 plays………

Kickoffs……..squibb kicks……..for recovery

field goal………..fake field goal……….

in other words his playbook is 4 or 5 pages. Romo is still the signal caller on those plays.

A more telling sign might have been Antonio Pierce who told the Giants how the Redskins defense game planned and tried to cut out 5 or 6 of the teams best plays. The Giants ran Draws against the overpursuit of the Redskins and agains the grain and racked up 200+ yards from Tiki alone.

Teams that face each other alot regonize plays anyway. The thing that still matters is execution. I mean on any pass play you still got 3 or 4 or 5 spots to throw the ball………..in the old days Marty Schottenheimer said everybody in the league knew the Dallas Cowboys signal from the sideline in the early nineties. He said they all knew which way Emmit Smith was going to run……….and yet they still could not stop him. That is good execution, and good offensive line, and a great running back.

I think we might have some of those components but not all of em. I would not worry about Jose giving out Dallas Cowboys secrets. You ever see the punter and kicker at practice……..they are always at the opposite end of the field or on another field than the real football players. Now if Drew Henson or Tony Romo went to an NFC East rival then you might have something to worry about. They should have a complete understanding of the playbook and the formations. An offensive Coordinator named Norv Turner left to coach the Redskins and we still beat him regularly.

Jon,

I don’t think coertez holds the keys to the kingdom for
the eagles either it is just surprising how quickly they
grabbed him.Do you know if he played against Denver
for them??

becker,

Cortez played against Denver, and he handled kickoffs [saw one go through the end zone in that rarified air] and extra points, but the Eagles had no field-goal attempts.

Cortez is probably like half the kickers in the league he is more interested in World Cup Soccer than the NFL.

The only kicker I might have worried about would have been George Blanda or Danny White. Cuz they both played other positions………most notably QB. White was a pretty good punter in his own right.

Did anybody see Big Ben kick that pooch punt on MNF> Hey if I were the coach I would work with him til I could just gut a P and add another RB, LB, or Defensive Back. LOL.

I got this off of cbs. what do you think????

The most difficult division to decipher this season is the NFC East. Once the property of the Philadelphia Eagles, it suddenly belongs to anyone … and everyone.

    
Eli Manning is a big reason for the Giants’ recent success on offense. (Getty Images)
If I had to guess now I’d say the New York Giants win by a nose, but how do you discount Philadelphia? Yeah, I know the Eagles look lousy now. I know their defense is hemorrhaging points, and their quarterback is hurt.

But they have a history of recovering from adversity and, until someone proves otherwise, they’re the team to beat.

Dallas? Sure, its defeats of San Diego and Philadelphia were impressive. But then the Cowboys nearly lost to San Francisco. And they did lose to Oakland. Two things about Dallas make me nervous: 1.) Drew Bledsoe in a big game, and 2.) an inexperienced kicker in a close game.

Plenty makes me nervous about Washington after watching the Redskins flounder Sunday. It was their third loss in four starts, and it’s a team that seems headed for the elevator going down, not up.

Still, they’re only a game out of first place, which means they’re tied with Philadelphia for last place. So who winds up winning this thing? That’s for you to decide.

New York Giants (5-2)
Why they can win: Offense, offense, offense. The Giants have the franchise quarterback in Eli Manning. Tiki Barber is having another Pro Bowl season. Plaxico Burress is their best receiver, and Jeremy Shockey is healthy. Oh, yeah, the offensive line seems to have plugged the holes that plagued it last season.

These guys score points like McDonald’s sells burgers. They average a league-high 29.8 points a game and exceeded 40 twice. Plus, Manning proved he knows how to launch comebacks — rallying the team twice in two weeks for last-second scores, including a dramatic 24-23 defeat over Denver.

The biggest improvement over last year’s club is in the play of the special teams, with the Giants near the top of every category — including kicker Jay Feely’s near-perfect (16 of 17) field-goal percentage.

 
Who will win the NFC East?
  Giants
 Cowboys
 Eagles
 ’Skins
 
 
 
Why they may not: They struggle on the road, losing their last six there — though that should change this weekend at San Francisco. The record is an issue because three of their last four games are away from home, including games against Philadelphia and Washington.

Now let’s talk about the pass defense. It ranked 31st prior to last Sunday, but that didn’t bother me as much as this: The Giants were dead last in third-down efficiency, with opponents converting on 49.4 percent of their snaps. Ouch! Of course, then the Giants go out and obliterate Washington, but it’s hard to know if that was more a reflection of how bad the Redskins were or how improved New York is. Somehow, I don’t think we find out Sunday against Cody Pickett.

The good news: They play San Francisco and Minnesota the next two weeks. That should make them 7-2 with seven games left and the team to beat within the division.

The bad news: Four of their last six are on the road, and Manning never, ever, ever won a road game — unless, of course, you count that Sept. 19 date with New Orleans. I don’t. It was at Giants Stadium.

Key game: Nov. 20 against Philadelphia. It’s at home, but it’s against the defending division champion and an opponent that owns the Giants. You can look it up: Philadelphia won seven of the last eight with New York.

Dallas Cowboys (5-3)
Why they can win: The defense that handicapped them a year ago is vastly improved. The Cowboys drafted Demarcus Ware and Marcus Spears, signed free-agents Anthony Henry and Jason Ferguson, adopted the 3-4 and — presto! Just like that — they’re among the leaders in a passel of defensive categories. The most impressive figure: their record on third downs. Opponents convert only 32 percent of them, the fifth-best record in the league. Plus, the Cowboys are outstanding inside the 20.

I look at that 2003 Dallas team that made the playoffs with Quincy Carter at quarterback and Troy Hambrick at running back, and wonder how the Cowboys did it. Then I look at their defense. It led the league. This year it ranks fifth and hasn’t allowed more than 13 points in any of its last four games.

Why they may not: Dallas changes kickers the way the Saints change stadiums. One week it’s Billy Cundiff. The next it’s Jose Cortez. Now it’s a rookie named Shaun Suisham, and, if I’m a Cowboys fan, that makes me uncomfortable.

Dallas has only three division games left, and they’re all on the road. A year ago, four of the Cowboys’ six NFC East games were decided by five or fewer points, and this year two of their three division games were decided by a total of four points. So it doesn’t take an Einstein to figure out that the next three could be tight. In a hostile environment, I want a kicker with experience, and Suisham doesn’t have it. Dallas already blew one game when Cortez missed a 29-yard field goal, and it might have lost to the Giants when Cortez missed one kick and had a second blocked. The Cowboys are taking a risk here.

The good news: The Cowboys don’t have to play Kansas City and Denver on the road, where each would be at an enormous disadvantage. Dallas can win either or both at Irving.

The bad news: Starting linebacker Al Singleton is lost for the year with a fractured clavicle, and Henry is bothered by a groin injury. That’s not good. Neither is this: Four of the Cowboys’ last six games are on the road — including back-to-back contests at Washington and Carolina in December. The guy to watch there is Bledsoe. He has six interceptions this season, and five of them are on the road.

Big game: Dec. 4 at the New York Giants. Dallas had to go to overtime to beat them in Irving. The Cowboys figure if they can win two of their remaining three division games, they win the NFC East. Well, here’s their chance.

Philadelphia Eagles (4-3)
Why they can win: They’ve done it the past four seasons. Believe me, that counts for a lot. The Eagles have a veteran team and a superb coaching staff, and they don’t rattle. They’ve been through bumpy rides before (remember the start of the 2003 season) and emerged unscathed. There’s veteran leadership here and a ton of talent. Plus, coach Andy Reid doesn’t panic.

The backbone of this team has been its defense, and it remains intact. OK, so it’s been hammered lately, but remember what I said about the coaching. This staff has a history of correcting its mistakes and moving forward. Think back to when the Eagles lost Donovan McNabb for the second half of 2002. They were supposed to fold; they wound up winning the division.

Why they may not: Two reasons: McNabb, and the defense. McNabb just isn’t himself, and don’t look at his passing numbers; see how many yards he has rushing. I count 21. He had six games last year with more. So that means McNabb throws more than normal. A lot more. And it also means the Eagles don’t have prolonged drives, the kind sustained by an effective running game. The evidence: Philadelphia is down to an average of 29:16 in ball possession. Only four teams are worse. Still, that’s an improvement over its average of 28:26 a year ago, when the Eagles were 13-3.

What’s not an improvement is the 356 yards the defense allows per game. Worse are the 130 points Philadelphia surrendered the last four starts. That’s an average of 32.5 a game, folks, and it’s a problem.

The good news: They only played one division game. That means five are left, with three at home where they haven’t lost. Plus, four of their last six are in Philadelphia. Then there’s Reid. He promises to get things straightened out, and give him the benefit of the doubt. The guy won at least 11 games in each of the past five seasons and did it at times without McNabb, his star running back, his leading tackler, a quality wide receiver, Pro Bowl defensive backs, you name it.

The bad news: The defense isn’t getting better; it’s getting worse. The 49 points Denver put up last weekend were the most the Eagles allowed since 1972 and more than their three playoff games of 2004 combined. Defense has been the strength of this team. Now it’s a concern.

Key game: This Sunday at Washington. Philadelphia must pull out of its funk and do it now. It lost its last three on the road.

Washington Redskins (4-3)
Whey they can win: Until last weekend, they were getting something more from their quarterback than sacks and turnovers. Mark Brunell has been a surprise, leading the NFC in passer rating until that disaster against the Giants.

The key here is minimizing mistakes. The Redskins committed four turnovers last week and were destroyed. They committed three more in an earlier game with Kansas City and lost. I think you get the picture. This is a team that doesn’t score a lot of points, so it can’t afford mistakes. Until now, Brunell has been good at avoiding them. If he plays as he did the first six games, the Redskins have a chance; if he returns to his 2004 form, they’re cooked.

Why they may not: They’re in a downward spiral, with their latest effort their worst in years. It was, as coach Joe Gibbs accurately summarized, “the game all coaches dread.” The defense that was so rock-solid under Gregg Williams was awful; Brunell looked like an indecisive quarterback who couldn’t make plays; the special teams were poor.

The Redskins say they’re not worried, that it was an aberration, and point to their 52-17 blowout of San Francisco the week before as evidence that they’re OK. Maybe, but they’re missing something: It was San Francisco, for crying out loud, one of the league’s bottom feeders. Throw out the 49ers, and Washington averages 13.8 points a game. That won’t cut it.

They good news: They have three of their next four at home, where they haven’t lost. They also finish the season with two of their last three at FedEx Field — against Dallas, and the Giants.

The bad news: Injuries are beginning to accumulate, with defensive linemen Cornelius Griffin (hip) and Joe Salave’a (foot) uncertain this weekend. Of more concern is a defense getting gashed for big plays. Denver’s Tatum Bell had touchdown runs of 34 and 55 yards in the Redskins’ first loss. Then, Priest Holmes had a 60-yard TD catch in their second defeat. Tiki Barber peeled off runs of 57 and 59 yards last weekend. Someone call for a tourniquet.

Key game: This Sunday against Philadelphia. The Redskins desperately need to make something happen. Otherwise, the bottom falls out, and the Jason Campbell Watch begins.

By Clark Judge
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer

My only question is: who is the head idiot at CBS who pays these other idiots like Clark Judge to keep regurgitating facts known to everyone? If Clark Judge has actually picked a winner in that game, I can’t find his pick.
Since Clark Judge hasn’t made a choice, I’ll pick Washington to win.

EricR,

Barberâ€â"¢s â€Å"lift” in the Seatle game? They were leading from the point of his first series. Leading for the better part of 4 quarters on the road, especially against a good home team, isnâ€â"¢t exactly a flat team.

The ‘team’ wasn’t flat. The offense most certainly was!

Let’s examine some details from that game.

Marion Barber came into the Seattle game while there was still no score. On his first series, the Cowboys drove the field and scored on a Bledsoe pass to Johnson. During that drive Barber gained 35 yards on 6 carries. Ah! A SPARK!!

After that ‘spark’, Bledsoe was sacked, stopping one drive; Rivera was called for a holding penalty, nullifying a play where Barber had gained 19 yards to the Seattle 41; Bledsoe threw an interception, which allowed Seattle to kick a field goal just before the half; Rivera false started on a play where Barber had gained 5 yards; Bledsoe was sacked on that same failed drive; Bledsoe was sacked yet again, forcing a 3-and-out; after recovering a fumble at the Seattle 9, two failed Barber runs and a Bledsoe sack preceded Cortez’s missed field goal; another drive failed when Barber was stuffed on 3rd-and-3; a Barber fumble (which he recovered) helped stop another drive; after an interception at the Seattle 10, two failed Barber runs and a Bledsoe scramble which didn’t make it, was followed by a field goal; Bledsoe threw the final interception which led to Seattle’s winning field goal.

Some spark!

Other than the handful of plays where he made his own errors, do I blame any of this on Barber? Of course not! Only a flaming idiot would make such a claim. But, then, I’m not the one who is attributing Barber with the power to lift the team every time he steps on the field. Barber had a very good game against Arizona and DID provide an emotional lift to the team IN THAT GAME. However, he does have a record in other games this year, which is not nearly that impressive.

The â€Å"0 for”? Julius most effective game was the comeback win against Seatle last year. He has won the team games with his feet. In terms of me getting the feeling that the running game beat a team into submision, Barber is 1 for 1, and Julius is 0 for whatever.

So, it seems your ONLY criteria are that the game must not be close and the running back must dominate. But, ‘winning with his feet’ alone somehow doesn’t impress you. Good grief! [By the way, don’t you think that Jones provided a ‘spark’ in that game?] I’ll leave comments about the Eagles game until a little later, but perhaps you missed last year’s Chicago game, where Jones gained 150 yards in a 21-7 victory.

IMO this Arizona win was the first win in a long time, that I felt that the offensive line emposed their will on a defense via the running game. .. Against Philly, the big passes got the Cowboys the lead. The running game complimented that well. In this game the passing game complimented the rushing attack. At least in my opinion.

While you may have a point about the passing attack in the Eagles game, I don’t see how you can claim that the offensive line did not impose their will in the running game, when Jones DID gain over 70 yards in the first half. Oh, yeah, they didn’t dominate in the SECOND half, when Jones was watching from the sideline. What a bum!

… Nothing in the middle of the field with him, unless its a draw on 3rd and long. You tell me, when was the last time Julius converted a 3rd and short? How effective has he been in those situations

In order to compare the effectiveness of Jones and Barber on 3rd-and-short, I went out to the nfl.com gamebooks listed every 3rd and 4th down run by each player for this year. I listed them all, so as not to get into an argument about what ‘short’ means.

Jones on 3rd and 4th down
At San Diego
2nd Quarter
3-17-DAL 32 (:14) J.Jones up the middle to DAL 38 for 6 yards
3rd Quarter
3-1-SD 29 (6:32) J.Jones up the middle to SD 23 for 6 yards *

Washington
1st Quarter
3-6-WAS 31 (10:20) J.Jones right tackle to WAS 22 for 9 yards *
2nd Quarter
3-1-DAL 44 (8:06) J.Jones left end to DAL 44 for no gain

At San Francisco
1st Quarter
4-1-SF 44 (12:10) J.Jones up the middle to SF 40 for 4 yards *
3rd Quarter
3-2-DAL 33 (5:03) J.Jones up the middle to DAL 34 for 1 yard

At Oakland
1st Quarter
3-1-DAL 29 (13:35) J.Jones up the middle to DAL 33 for 4 yards *
3rd Quarter
3-1-OAK 12 (1:52) J.Jones left guard to OAK 12 for no gain
4th Quarter
3-1-OAK 17 (2:43) J.Jones up the middle to OAK 11 for 6 yards *

Philadelphia
1st Quarter
4-1-PHI 34 (11:12) J.Jones right end to PHI 9 for 25 yards *
4-1-PHI 1 (8:58) J.Jones right tackle to PHI 2 for -1 yards
2nd Quarter
3-5-PHI 26 (7:04) J.Jones left end to PHI 21 for 5 yards *

Barber on 3rd and 4th down
At Oakland
2nd Quarter
3-2-OAK 12 (6:31) M.Barber left end to OAK 11 for 1 yard

New York Giants
3rd Quarter
3-1-DAL 48 (2:01) M.Barber up the middle to DAL 49 for 1 yard *
4th Quarter
3-1-NYG 11 (13:24) M.Barber up the middle to NYG 11 for no gain

At Seattle
1st Quarter
3-1-SEA 18 (3:39) M.Barber left tackle to SEA 17 for 1 yard *
2nd Quarter
3-16-DAL 46 (11:07) M.Barber up the middle to SEA 44 for 10 yards
4th Quarter
3-3-DAL 43 (10:23) M.Barber left guard to DAL 44 for 1 yard
3-13-SEA 46 (4:39) M.Barber right guard to SEA 38 for 8 yards

Arizona
1st Quarter
3-2-ARZ 3 (3:42) M.Barber up the middle to ARZ 3 for no gain
2nd Quarter
3-14-DAL 23 (11:11) M.Barber left tackle to DAL 30 for 7 yards
4th Quarter
3-10-DAL 23 (7:07) M.Barber right end to DAL 26 for 3 yards
3-4-DAL 30 (1:43) 24-M.Barber left tackle to DAL 36 for 6 yards *

• = first down made

Draw your own conclusions.

Cowboys released the A-Train & picked up Lynn Scott & Tony Dixon, moreso for depth at safety. I think Dixon is a good back-up, but I never really felt good about having Scott back there….hence last yr! So I just keep my fingers crossed that Mr. Davis stays healthy & we just use Dixon & Scott only on special teams

PASSING OFFENSE
B — The Cowboys are ninth in the league in pass offense, led by the surprising play of quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who is the top rated quarterback in the NFC. The receiver corps has been solid if not spectacular led by Terry Glenn, Keyshawn Johnson and tight end Jason Witten. Glenn still has explosion, while Johnson remains one of the league’s top red zone targets.

RUSHING OFFENSE
C — The Cowboys have not run it as well as expected. Julius Jones has struggled when he was on the field. He also missed three games with injuries. However, the Cowboys did run it well enough to keep control the ball and the clock. They also found a runner in rookie Marion Barber — who will work in tandem with Jones in the second half.

PASS DEFENSE
B — The Cowboys are 12th in the league in pass defense. But what’s most different about the pass defense is the big plays they make. The Cowboys already have 24 sacks this season, led by Greg Ellis’ five. The Cowboys also have recorded 10 interceptions, including a 58-yard return for a touchdown by Anthony Henry.

RUSH DEFENSE
B-minus — The Cowboys are sixth in the league in run defense, allowing just 89.1 yards per game. Credit the switch from the 4-3 to the 3-4. Also credit the play of nose tackles Jason Ferguson and La’Roi Glover in the middle of the defense. Inside linebacker Bradie James, Scott Shanle and Dat Nguyen have also been solid against the run.

SPECIAL TEAMS
C — Tyson Thompson has been solid on kickoff returns. He ranks ninth in the NFL and second in the NFC. Mat McBriar has been very good on punts. But the Cowboys have had shaky deep snapping and unreliable place kicking. Shaun Suisham will be on the spot as the kicker in the second half of the season.

COACHING
B — The Cowboys are 5-3. They are in second place in the NFC East. With so many young players playing key roles, they have a chance to get better in the second half of the season and make a legitimate push toward the playoffs.

Copyright © 2005 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.

Hey everyone, cut and paste and give your own review. (It’s the friggin bye week what else we got?) we can even rate them!

PASSING OFFENSE
A- — Go Bledsoe!! Big Drew has experts all over the continent eating enough
crow to warrent a species warning from the Sierra Club. Glenn is staying healthy and stretching defenses while Meshaun is making the clutch catches. Losing patrick Crayton hurts, but maybe that leaves more balls for underused all-Pro TE Jason Witten.

RUSHING OFFENSE
C — Sure the Boys haven’t hit their running stride yet, but they look loaded for years to come. JJones needs to beat the injury bug and dominate as he did inthe second half of last season. MBIII is an very pleasant surprise, who can do everything you need a back to do all while hitting the hole faster than Peter North. (That’s for you Cash/Raf!) Don’t forget the speedster Tyson Thompson who may just be faster than a White House Denial.

PASS DEFENSE
B — Would be an ‘A’ if not for that game against the Redskins. Henry is as good as advertised and the sack parade keeps on keepin’ on. TNew is locking his side down ( and the slot on third ) so hard, teams aren’t even trying him.

RUSH DEFENSE
B-minus — Seems to gear up for the top backs – Portis, LT, Alexander. but let a couple of second tier types gash them – LJOrdan, Kevan Barlow.

SPECIAL TEAMS
C — TThompson has been real good on kickoffs, and punter McBriar has dealt with two long snappers this season without dropping anything while booming his punts. The Kicking game is a mess. Cortez lost a game all by himself – and almost lost his head – and who knows what Suisham will bring?

COACHING
A — The Boys are 5-3 with more rookies and second year starters than vets. BP is on his game this year getting on the vets when they need it and stroking the the rookies when they get that deer in the headlights look.

Anyone else?

Mr. Bill,

Yeah why don’t you KEEP IT REAL!! Let’s stop putting words in people’s mouths please!! No one said “Barber has the power to lift a team every time he steps onto the field”. His emotional play “sparked” the team after a disappointing loss. – Enough said.

The breakdown of 3rd down runs supports the opinion that Julius is as effective if not more effective in 3rd down and short runs. I can’t argue those stats. On the other hand, stats don’t give us yards after contact, or tell us how tough the run was. .. If we are going to go on stats, though, then Barber wins.

I don’t get what the big deal is here. I like Julius, but I believe that with the way the team played on Sunday, especially the way Barber played, that he gets a shot at being “the guy” for a couple more games. Let’s see if he can do it again. Let’s see if the team comes out and plays with good emotion. .. The worse thing that can happen is for JJ to get in there and try to do to much, and start bouncing runs to the outside, were they are not intended to go, then Petitti and Tucker start holding, or Dallas gets a few of those negative plays, and the two rookie OTs start to lose confidence. They played with confidence with a RB that was tough, played with emotion, and followed his blocks. Why mess with that?

PASSING OFFENSE
C+ — Go Bledsoe has been better then a lot of people thought myself included. The passing game as been good at times SD, SF, Philly, and AZ. Other times no where to be found. WRs have done a good job but still lack a true #1 that everybody knows is getting the ball and the other still can’t stop.
RUSHING OFFENSE
C — Although JJ hasn’t gotten off the yards are there as a team and we are holding the ball more than any other team. MB looks good, TT looks good when he gets the ball. I almost give us a B just for cutting A-train.

PASS DEFENSE
B+ — AH is making plays and nobody is really going after TNew.

RUSH DEFENSE
B — Top backs are getting shut down.

SPECIAL TEAMS
C — TT is doing a great job, just need to take one to the house.
COACHING
B- play calling has been bad at times but we are 5-3.

PASSING OFFENSE
C+ — Go Bledsoe has been better then a lot of people thought myself included. The passing game as been good at times SD, SF, Philly, and AZ. Other times no where to be found. WRs have done a good job but still lack a true #1 that everybody knows is getting the ball and the other still can’t stop.
RUSHING OFFENSE
C — Although JJ hasn’t gotten off the yards are there as a team and we are holding the ball more than any other team. MB looks good, TT looks good when he gets the ball. I almost give us a B just for cutting A-train.

PASS DEFENSE
B+ — AH is making plays and nobody is really going after TNew.

RUSH DEFENSE
B — Top backs are getting shut down.

SPECIAL TEAMS
C — TT is doing a great job, just need to take one to the house.
COACHING
B- play calling has been bad at times but we are 5-3.

B- on coaching and we are 5-3 and already beat the division leading Giants once?

I say A- for no other reason than a stellar rookie class and the FA acquisitions of Henry, Ferg, and the one I wish would show up more Rivera. Some very smart and knowledgable folks in football have said yeah a Coach matters……..but players have to make plays…….and if you don’t have enough good ones well then you aren’t going to win regardless if it Lomabardi, Landry, Parcells or Jimmy Johnson at the helm. Bill Parcells finally has the peronnel he convets. He found another good RB in MBIII to add to JJ and a rookie FA Tyson Thompson. He is getting his coveted pressure on the opposing QB and has his own QB that he trust. Does not really matter if we like Drew Bledsoe or not his coach has confidence in him and that matters more to the player, coach and team than any popularity contest of fans.

Good Coaching……..how about this……..tell me or any fan preseason we will have Julius Jones our and Dat Nguyen out and still win football games? Other players like Bradie James and MBIII are showing up and putting on clutch perfromances.

This team has been told by every other team it looks like the best conditioned team in football. In shape and getting very young at just about everything except WR.

In 8 games so far we have as many victories as any season under Campo. I agree the play calling might deserve a little bit of improvement………but hey if Drew Bledsoe hits Witten for a TD in Oakland we are 6-2……….and if not for two idiotic letdowns on Defense……against Washington we are 7-1………and if not for Jose Cortez………..in Seattle……….well we are 8-0.

My grade for Coaching is A- the minus due to the kicking game. Punting looks good, but you gotta find a Kicker that can hit it from 40 on in. Hoping Suisham is it, but if he ain’t we could have mud on our face come postseason.

PASSING OFFENSE
B+ – Who thought our offense was this good? Or Drew Bledsoe? Glenn and Johnson are having real good years, and Crayton was doing a real solid job before he got hurt. Witten has been ok. Our pass protect has been pretty good.

RUSHING OFFENSE
C – JJ has been hurt and not himself this year. MBIII has been a nice suprise the last two games. Our run blocking hasn’t been that good, and thats why our RB havent been too good. Look for this to improve the in the 2nd half.

PASS DEFENSE
A- – Henry and Newman have been pro bowl caliber. Glenn is solid in the slot. Our D is causing problems with exotic blitzes. Ware and Ellis have been getting to the QB alot, along with Glover and Canty. Ratliff too.

RUSH DEFENSE
B- – Its been good, not great. Fergunson is improving now that hes healthy. Our LB’s have been solid, despite Dat hurt. Singelton will be missed but if Burnett was worthy of the 2nd round pick he will step up. If not, hes the bust of the draft so far. Canty, MBIII, and Ratliff were outplaying him despite being chosen later.

SPECIAL TEAMS
C – Our Kicking game has been woefully bad, but Thompson was doing a nice job. Price makes me a little scared back there. Our coverage was bad in the beginning of the year.

COACHING
A- – The conservative play calling was getting all of us mad, but the solid defensive schemes and FA pickups give us an A. THe draft too.

EricR – You gonna argue this moot and senseless point like you did the campaign for Ellis for LB? It was one game against the Cardinals, for Pete’s sake. We’ve got two very good to great backs. Be happy. Quit the tit for tat crap.

Graders – Awfully harsh aren’t we guys? Very few A’s and a lot of complaints. I’d give ‘em straight A’s across the board. Had the ball in our hands and the end of every game with a chance to win. What else can you ask for?

That being said…I got a secret. Cundiff is our kicker after week 10.

i hope Cundiff is back……..but we don’t have rights to him do we? Didn’t we cut him medically and settle?

What was his injury anyway……..you know if Cundiff is healthy you figure this team is at least 7-1………..missed field goals againts Washington and Seattle.

Imagine the Media Hype if Parcells led Cowboys are 7-1…….well let us get to 8 wins so he can give the you cannot call em losers anymore and then watch these Boys take off. The media knows there ain’t another coach in the league (except maybe Herm Edwards) that is as much of a sound byte as Bill Parcells. They are going pile on the Cowboys bandwagon faster then Dan Patrick can say Danica.

If we would play a full game like against Philly each week our kicker would not matter……..that said the league is very competitive and a K is a weapon that back in the day……..well it just wasn’t as big a deal.

I say the Defense is probably a B+ overall with lots of room for improvement up front still. If that happens look out……this team will be so good on Defense………we might even be able to start Romo or Henson and still win a Super Bowl………LOL………

Raul Villaronga,

Thanks for the info on the contract length of J. Ratliff contract. Its good news that Dallas will get two more years from him on the cheap.

aw,

Here is a link to with the box score for Superbowl XXX where Emmitt was held to 49 yards on 18 carries.
  
http://www.superbowl.com/history/recaps/game/sbxxx

Another good site for player statisitics which has all NFL players by game statisitics since 1995 is

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/SmitEm00.htm

Remember statistics don’t lie, but they do deceive. While he was held to only 49 yards they used 8 men to do it and they still could not stop him on one and two yard plays when it counted. He scored 2 TD in that game on runs of one and four yards. He was still the offensive MVP even with his limited production in terms of yards. He had numerous games where he was dominate yet did not get 100 yards on the ground.

Thats is my point. As fans we focus too much on statisitics. A running back does not need to put up big numbers to be productive. When a RB requires a full team effort just to slow them down and they can still move the chains or score when it counts they are doing their job even if the numbers say otherwise.

look, the media is the media, whether its sports, music, hollywood, whatever, the media is the media, they gotta cover “the big story”, remember, the chargers are coming off of that great year, Drew Breez had a career year, Tomlinson is “the best player in the league”, (and we shut him down), so of course they gonna talk all this and that about him, and were coming off of, what a 6-10 season I believe, and were not “the big story”, so who cares, I tell you who cares, US DALLAS COWBOYS FANS, THATS WHO, f***k what espn or sports illustrated, or any mainstream media propoganda supported organization says…DALLAS FOR LIFE, How bout them Cowboys!!!

EricR,

Yeah why donâ€â"¢t you KEEP IT REAL!! Letâ€â"¢s stop putting words in peopleâ€â"¢s mouths please!! No one said â€Å"Barber has the power to lift a team every time he steps onto the field”. His emotional play â€Å"sparked” the team after a disappointing loss. – Enough said.

Enough, indeed! It would be all well and good if you left it at that. Barber gave the team a big lift against the Cardinals, however, he failed to do so against the Seahawks, and in his other brief appearances. You seem to expect it every time out now, regardless of the evidence to the contrary.

The breakdown of 3rd down runs supports the opinion that Julius is as effective if not more effective in 3rd down and short runs. I canâ€â"¢t argue those stats. On the other hand, stats donâ€â"¢t give us yards after contact, or tell us how tough the run was. .. If we are going to go on stats, though, then Barber wins.

Huh! One of your greatest claims for Barber was that he is more effective on 3rd and short. That is shot completely out of the water. Yet, you claim that Barber wins the stats? What stats? Certainly not any stats based on the data I provided. That he has the most yards in a game this year? OK. But, last year happened too. That season can not be ignored, much as you would like to.

I donâ€â"¢t get what the big deal is here. I like Julius, but I believe that with the way the team played on Sunday, especially the way Barber played, that he gets a shot at being â€Å"the guy” for a couple more games. Letâ€â"¢s see if he can do it again. Letâ€â"¢s see if the team comes out and plays with good emotion. …

So here, again, you are assuming that Barber can repeat that brilliance. Let’s forget, for now, that he couldn’t do it against Seattle. But you can’t ignore the games where Jones gave the team that exact same lift. [Chicago and Seattle last year. Philadelphia this year. And don’t give me any quibbling about the passing game leading the way against the Eagles. It all works together. Otherwise, by the way, your whole justification for Barber starting is nonsense.] Just because Barber did it last, does not give him the starting job. It doesn’t work that way. You just can’t ignore Jones previous work.

… The worse thing that can happen is for JJ to get in there and try to do to much, and start bouncing runs to the outside, were they are not intended to go, then Petitti and Tucker start holding, or Dallas gets a few of those negative plays, and the two rookie OTs start to lose confidence. They played with confidence with a RB that was tough, played with emotion, and followed his blocks. Why mess with that?

OK! You have made this claim several times on this thread (and others). This time I am calling you on it. You are mistakenly equating Jones’ running style with that of Barry Sanders. That is nonsense! They have completely different running styles. Several posters on this very thread have complained that Jones is NOT bouncing outside ENOUGH. At any rate, I defy you to name ONE play this year where Jones bounced an inside run outside, and either lost yardage, or a holding penalty was called after he broke outside. Just ONE will do. Here’s one for Barber. On second-and-one against the Raiders, on their 12-yard line (2:31 of the 3rd quarter), Barber was supposed to cut the play up inside, he went outside and was stuffed. Parcells pulled him from the game, and never let him back in. Your turn.

Jon-regarding Cundiff; it is my understanding that he is basically on the street after his injury settlement runs out(+ 4 weeks I think). I think anyone could sign him. Anyone with better info please feel free to correct me(like anybody here needs permission).

Jon- oh yea, Cundiff’s injury was a quad tear (?).

On the Barber issue I can honestly say he had two good games. The problem with making more out of it than that is did the other teams anticipate his impact on the game. In the first couple of games I remember a lot of 8 man fronts being played with some run blitzes thrown in to slow down what was considered to be a strength of our offense going into the season. San Diego was billed as LT the best in the league against JJ the up and coming star. The second game brought more of the same, with lots of run blitzes and very few holes for our running backs. We have gotten two consecutive games with a good push by the offensive line. I believe we need more data on who will be better. My instinct tells me JJ, but like someone else said, what have you done for me lately. Until we know for sure, what a problem to have two quality running backs looking for glory. And a speedy you backup nipping at their heels. If our offensive line continues to improve and I see no reason why not, then we got some good times a coming on the horizon.

Fighter15,

You give the Cowboys strait A’s despite blowing two games in the final minutes and a running game that has under performed.

Youâ€â"¢re such the homer. I love it!! So I am compelled to agree with your assessment. Theyâ€â"¢re our team damm it, so why not give them strait A’s even if they don’t deserve it.

Go Cowboys!!

Tommy,

Please don’t try to confuse us with facts, logic, and common sense.

We are at the Halfway point folks!! Any other asessments?

heres a question for you guys about JJ and MB. When has Bledsoe thrown for more yards? When JJ was in or MB? I’ll tell you….JJ! Why? Because when JJ is in there, teams have been putting 8 and sometimes 9 in the box which opens up the passing game. Anybody notice that Glens catches and yards per game went down when JJ went out?

WHat’s the point…think about it for awhile!!!!

Oh, and one more thing….here is a comparrison that I will make between JJ and Emmitt. They both live for big games like Monday football. Should JJ play Momday at philly and is 100%, wxpect him to go hog wild with a vengance!

Airtyme-I’m too lazy to look up the stats but is it possible that JJ couldn’t get it done on 1st & 2nd down so Bledsoe had to throw more on 3rd? Actually I’m just saying that for sake of arguement.

In Mick’s mail, you will see a very correct assessement of MBIII. He is a good all around back with skills in every area, running, blocking and receiving, basically a protypical 3rd down back.

What has he done that JJ did not do last year? He has had a couple of good games. Perhaps we need to evaluate this when there is more information to consider. When JJ begins playing and they are rotated, the mystery will be solved.

I am certain BP will know (and probably already knows) which is more beneficial to the team.

Was Jacob Rogers clever enought to change his name to Marc Colombo?

Trey
You got on that game but the other two sb games he had over 100 yards and in most big games he came through with 8 in the box.

Mr. Bill
Why should JJ start? The only way to know if MB is the real deal is to let him play. MB has the top two rushing games this year for us. What has JJ done THIS YEAR, not last year but this year? JJ has 12 starts with three being real good two being ok this year(philly and sd) seven being avg at best and his first game being bad. MB has one start real good. His first game bad, his other game ok. From what I have been seeing this year only MB style is better for this team. But since its not everybody can remember last year JJ will be the starter. One thing I like about MB is he can do it all well nothing great. JJ cant yet do it all but looked great three games last year. MB show us all something that JJ has yet to show us this year………

Aw…u got that right, even when JJ does return, MB3 should still get 20 carries a game in my opinion, if not, then of course he’ll not look as good on the bench! If they just use MB on 3rd downs the Bill is stupid, if anything lets switch that around to JJ on 3rd downs only….oh yeah, he can not catch as good as MB nor pass protect as well either. I am too, am sick of ppl thinkin JJ should get more snaps b/c of what he did last yr….how bout this yr., not getting through the line of scrimage for a good amount of carries, the only good run he has had was the one against the eagles on forth & one, when he ran it for like 18 yards….two things come to mind when thinking of his only good run this yr:

(1) sure it was a alright run, but on forth & one, it was more a eagles error or should I say they probably had the wrong formation set up than was JJ actually creating this on his own!

(2) I can think of 4 last game MB3 not only created an opening on his own, but on 2, he found the end zone!

enough said, JJ is not a bad runner, but he is not gr8 by any streak of the imagination

aw,

This is not preseason. It is not the time for experimentation. In case you haven’t noticed, these games count. We can’t be throwing players out there just to see what they can do. Which reminds me, back in preseason, when we could compare the two against common opponents, Jones was the superior back.

Julius Jones was justifiably recognized as one of the most promising young running backs in the NFL, based on his performance in 2004. That is not 10 years ago. That performance is still relevant. He is also the starter, and has done nothing to lose his job. Nor is this yet some kind of Wally Pipp/Lou Gehrig situation. Barber just hasn’t done that much to say he is better than Jones. I am not one of those who maintains that no starter should lose his job because of an injury, but I do believe for that to happen, the new player needs to clearly demonstrate that he is superior over a significant time. Not one or two games of very good, but not great, performances. [Great is what Jones did against Seattle and Chicago last year.]

I should also add here, that if the coaching staff (i.e. Bill Parcells) thinks that Barber is better than Jones, Barber will start over Jones. Fact! Until they come to that conclusion, nothing we say here will matter. Be prepared, therefore, for Jones to start against the Eagles, if he is healthy.

… From what I have been seeing this year only MB style is better for this team. …

Based on what? As Airtyme pointed out, when Jones was starting, teams were gameplanning around Jones, placing an extra man in the box, and run blitzing consistently. This is what enabled Bledsoe and Glenn to have such a good start. Maybe teams will now start to plan for Barber, but he will have to do a lot more than he did last Sunday for that to happen.

You have every right to your opinion, but I doubt that it is shared by the Cowboys coaching staff.

Why should JJ start? The only way to know if MB is the real deal is to let him play. …

‘Play’ does not equate to ‘start’. Barber does not have to start in order to ‘play’. He will get plenty of snaps, even after Jones returns, and will have multiple opportunities to show whether he is ‘the real deal’ or not. If he is as good as you expect and Jones fails to live up to his expectations, the change will be made soon enough. That is how position changes happen in the NFL. You don’t just replace a running back who is feared and respected by the opposing teams, after a couple of good games by a rookie.

chris,

Take your argument to the Cowboys coaching staff. Maybe they will pay attention, but I doubt it.

Chris and AW,

Nice points. It seems as Mr. Bill wants to use JJ stats last year, only when it benifitts his arguement. .. I am right with you both, Barber should get 20-25 snaps.

First of all I didn’t say MB should start. All I said was off of what I have seen from him his style fits better. I look at how he runs. Second you and I know the starter is going to get 20 plus carries and the back ups will get around 5, unless its a blow out. You didn’t say why JJ should start?? JJ is not the only back to see 8 or 9 in the box. Other backs see it too and still do their games. The idea of 8 in the box and game planning for JJ is not new to running backs. Team will adjust in games that’s why the pass and run set each other up. JJ is the starter because of what he did in three game last year not for what he has done this year. Like I said before I would start JJ but if he continues to play as he has this year I would replace him. JJ hasn’t don’t enough for me to say he is the man so I need to see more same goes with MB.

Mr. Bill,

I wrote “… The worse thing that can happen is for JJ to get in there and try to do to much, and start bouncing runs to the outside, were they are not intended to go, then Petitti and Tucker start holding, or Dallas gets a few of those negative plays, and the two rookie OTs start to lose confidence. They played with confidence with a RB that was tough, played with emotion, and followed his blocks. Why mess with that?”

You wrote, “OK! You have made this claim several times on this thread (and others). This time I am calling you on it. You are mistakenly equating Jonesâ€â"¢ running style with that of Barry Sanders. That is nonsense! They have completely different running styles. Several posters on this very thread have complained that Jones is NOT bouncing outside ENOUGH. At any rate, I defy you to name ONE play this year where Jones bounced an inside run outside, and either lost yardage, or a holding penalty was called after he broke outside. Just ONE will do. Hereâ€â"¢s one for Barber. On second-and-one against the Raiders, on their 12-yard line (2:31 of the 3rd quarter), Barber was supposed to cut the play up inside, he went outside and was stuffed. Parcells pulled him from the game, and never let him back in. Your turn.”

No penalties!!! It may or may not be a coincidence. But fellow bloggers have suggested that all of a sudden, Barber plays, and the line is run blocking better. That doesn’t happen over night!! .. Maybe the line is playing better because they have a tough hard nosed back that follows blocks better than Julius does. .. The line has less holds and is playing with more confidence (despite losing Flozell) with Barber in there than with Julius starting.

I told you your breakdown of 3rd and short, was a good point for your arguement. What more do you want?

What stats does Barber win at? As the featured back? How about yards per game! For the season? How about yards per carry! In the last two games, Barber has 49 attempts 221 yards (4.5 average) and 2 TDs. That is a TD every 25 attempts. JJ has 3 TDs in 400+ attempts. NOT GOOD!! So like AW, Chris, and I have been arguing give the guy the ball 20-25 times and he has been much more effective than JJ. THIS YEAR!!

Fighter15,

I have no problem in admitting I was wrong. .. The Boys picked up Fujita and have been playing a heck of a lot more 4 down linemen sets than I expected, if I knew these facts my opinion might have been different. .. My delema in that was I knew Parcells wasn’t just going to lose Ellis to the 3-4, and I didn’t know where he would fit in. .. Like I said I was wrong. No big deal.

Off topic….here’s one for all you Antonio Bryant fans courtesy Yahoo sports:After suffering through two poor weeks Bryant will remain the starting wideout.A series of dropped passes at crucial times and broken patterns has put the recievers starting job at risk,but head coach Romeo Crennel is giving him the benefit of the doubt and will give him one more week.

Somethings never change…..lol

I can say that if JJ gets the same run blocking as MBIII has had for the last two games JJ will end this MBIII starter talk.
 As Mr Bill pointed out MBIII was having a great game and then tried to bounce one outside and got benched.

I love what MBIII has done. I want TT on the field. But I still think that JJ is the Next One in Dallas. TD, ES, JJ???

“Maybe the line is playing better because they have a tough hard nosed back that follows blocks better than Julius does. .. The line has less holds and is playing with more confidence (despite losing Flozell) with Barber in there than with Julius starting.”
You know that’s assinine, right? If this was the case, then why didn’t the line start the season playing well for a back who had a truly amazing rookie season? I’m not going to spend much time making a point, as this is ridiculous, but do you think that Larry Allen says to parcells, “Well sir, I like marion barber the third better than i like julius jones. So, i’ve changed the way i play and i changed my level of effort. He provides me an ineffable boost to my confidence that jones doesn’t do.”
Your comments lack any fact and defy all logic.
Sorry to say, but if healthy, Julius Jones will remain the feature back through the remainder of the season.

I feel like if you were a general manager, you’d build your dynasty around Reuben Droughans and Tim Rattay – pointing with pride to that one day Droughans ran for 185 yds against the Cardinals and Rattay threw for 400 yards vs the Bengals. “provide a boost” you’ve been heard to murmur repeatedly about them.

Your argument, by the way, was defined three and a half years ago by both the Wikipedia and Encyclopedea Brittanica as the “Hambrick Corollary” or “Hambrick Syndrome.”

AlanTdot
JJ hasn’t done enough to even be considered the next great rb.

Joey2zs
If this was the case, then why didâ€â"¢t the line start the season playing well for a back who had a truly amazing rookie season?
No it wasn’t a amazing rookie season he played 8 games and had three great games.
So is the line playing better now or not? Why hasn’t JJ gotten off. To me JJ nor MB have done enough to say they are the next great rb. JJ is has yet to show he is a consistent rb. And I’m not talking about him missing time I’m talking about when he is playing. I wish I shared everybody’s view on JJ being so great. I see a rb that had some good games and in the other ones he was a no-show and can’t make all the runs.

aw,

One reason that MBIII has done well is that he is in no way seeing as many run blitzes as JJ. Not even close.

I don’t have any facts to support why I believe in JJ. I just feel good about him, gut feeling. When I see JJ run I see someone who will be breaking the hearts of Skins, Eagles, and Giants fans for years to come. Gut feeling.

AlanTdot
You could say that about JJ last year in his three big games. I dont get that feeling with JJ as you do. I have a feeling in a couple of years it will be TT breaking hearts. JJ has to show me more than what he has been.

Joey,

Its not I who came up with that concept, but plenty, PLENTY, of NFL offensive linemen have said that they prefer to block for a back that follows the blocks and runs through the wholes they create and are less Barryesc. When the debate about Emmitt and Barry was a heated one, one point NFL offensive linemen made was how a RB that improvised, and bounced runs often caused them to hold. Why? Well, if an OT is blocking to the outside on a run intended to go inside but the RB bounces outside, the OT tries to react and is often left in a vulnerable position. .. As again with the Barry and Emitt debate, Barry was electrifying, but led the league in minus runs almost each year of his career. LED THE LEAGUE IN MINUS RUNS!! Minus runs kill drives, and that ruins a team’s (especially young OTs) confidence.

You want to keep saying that all of a sudden the line is playing better. Flozell Adams gets hurt, and a player we all had for dead (Tucker), replaces him and overnight the line is better? I don’t think so. There is a better chance, like AW states, that Barber fits better with the scheme.

Long before the JJ injury, I posted my worries about our running game. I’ve been worried about JJ’s style and toughness since game #1. You all make it sound and look like Jones was this unbelievable, irreplacable player!! He was playing poorly, and our running game was struggling. Not to mention he is always hurt. .. Maybe you are all in love with Julius’s speed. How many RBs were faster than Emmitt?

The rookie earned a chance to play more. PERIOD.

WOW, HOW FAST WE FIND FAULT IN OUR STARTING RB JJ, NO GOOD GAMES THIS YEAR!!, HE HAD A COUPLE OF GOOD GAMES, AGAINST WAY BETTER D THAN BARBER. I’M GLAD THAT BARBER HAD A CHANCE TO SHOW HIS STUFF, BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HE HAS A COUPLE OF GAMES WITH VERY LITTLE YARDS, ARE WE GOING TO BUST HIM DOWN AS FAST AS WE BUILT HIM UP. WE NOW HAVE A ONE TWO PUNCH, WHICH IS A HELL OF A LOT BETTER THAN HAVING NOTHING. AND CONTRARY TO WHAT PEOPLE THINK BEFORE THIS YEAR IS UP JJ WILL BE RIGHT UP THERE WITH THE LEAGUES BEST, AT LEAST IN THE TOP 10!!!!!!.

aw,

First of all I didnâ€â"¢t say MB should start. …

Then why did you ask me why Jones should start, and why did you argue for an entire post with reasons why Barber should? Don’t try to hide behind the technicality of never actually stating in explicit words that Barber should start over Jones. That was an argument for that view if I ever saw one.

I know that you had previously claimed that Jones should retain his starting job for now. So I was somewhat surprised when you wrote that post. Were you bored and just looking for someone to argue with?

Second you and I know the starter is going to get 20 plus carries and the back ups will get around 5, unless its a blow out.

What makes you say that? Are you privy to Parcells future plans?

Here are Parcells comments on this matter from today’s press conference (copied from a recap by Inman Roshi at CowboysZone):

You say Dat doesnâ€â"¢t have a big ego so heâ€â"¢ll take a reduced role. Does Julius ego worry you?
No, heâ€â"¢s a good kid. A team player. Heâ€â"¢ll be fine. I really do. I think he wants to play, and I think Barber wants to play and thereâ€â"¢s only one ball … but thatâ€â"¢s good. I really think at some point in time, we wont care who is in there. Thatâ€â"¢s when you really got a good situation .. when they can all do everything.

That’s sounds to me like they will both get plenty of work, regardless of who starts. Actually, I can see where it could come to who has the hot hand, as to which one sees the most work. It might even come to which one the coaches feel will do best against a given opponent, as to which one will start.

… You didnâ€â"¢t say why JJ should start?? …

Of course I did. If you don’t like my reasons, that’s fine. Just don’t deny my writing them.

Here’s another reason: Parcells says so. If Jones is healthy, he’s the starter. [That was in Monday’s press conference.]

… JJ is not the only back to see 8 or 9 in the box. Other backs see it too and still do their games. The idea of 8 in the box and game planning for JJ is not new to running backs. …

Hardly! The point, which you seemed to miss (or avoid) is that our opponents did that when Jones was starting and did NOT do that when he was absent.

… JJ is the starter because of what he did in three game last year not for what he has done this year. …

No. Jones is the starter because Bill Parcells says he is. Jones will remain the starter until Bill Parcells says he is not.

… Like I said before I would start JJ but if he continues to play as he has this year I would replace him. JJ hasnâ€â"¢t donâ€â"¢t enough for me to say he is the man so I need to see more same goes with MB.

Here we are very close to agreement. I am perfectly willing to await the outcome of future events to show which back is the better of the two.

EricR,

So, I challenged you for a specific play. There must be one, since you have gone on and on and on and on about how Jones breaks plays to the outside and the linemen hold. It would seem that you would have been able to remember at least one, since you have been so positive about it. Something should have stuck in your mind, to cause you to make these endless claims. And you came up with …. NOTHING! NILL! NADA! ZIPPO! BUPKISS!

Just more of that same old horse hockey about the lack of penalties in the Seattle game, completely ignoring all the penalties that were committed in other games that Barber played … while he was playing.

… Maybe the line is playing better because they have a tough hard nosed back that follows blocks better than Julius does. .. The line has less holds and is playing with more confidence (despite losing Flozell) with Barber in there than with Julius starting.

And maybe the line is playing better, because they don’t have to face 8-in-the-box and the constant run blitzes they had to face when Jones was in the game. And maybe the line is playing better, because the Arizona defensive line is under-sized, and more easily pushed out of the way. And maybe the line is playing better, because Arizona played a freaky 5-man line, which the Cowboys had anticipated and for which they had created an excellent gameplan.

By the way, the offensive line was playing quite well against the Eagles for that first half, don’t you think?

… So like AW, Chris, and I have been arguing give the guy the ball 20-25 times and he has been much more effective than JJ. THIS YEAR!!

As soon as you can add Bill Parcells to your list, I will take your arguments seriously. Until then …

I continue to be amazed by your continuous referral to Emmitt vs. Barry, as if this had ANY relevance to the current debate. In that earlier debate, your arguments had merit. However, Julius is NOT Barry, and Marion is NOT Emmitt. Nor are their styles all that similar [especially since you cannot recall even one instance of Jones doing the things you have been denouncing Sanders for doing]. If you are so keen on reliving that old argument, why don’t you go visit a Lions blog. I’m sure they will be more than happy to accommodate you. Here, under the current circumstances, the argument has no relevance. Therefore, it has no merit.

That reminds me. You never answered one of my other questions. Did you ever see Tony Dorsett play in a Cowboys uniform?

I hope MBIII is the real deal, just as I hope JJ is the real deal. What a wonderful problem we will have. I see the value of MBIII running hard with passion. I see the value of defenses being afraid of JJ busting loose in their secondary. He proved he was able to do that last year and most teams seem to think he is capable of doing it now. What I can’t wait to see is when we have TT in the mix. Most defensive coordinators will not know whether to wind their butt or scratch their watch. The offensive line had some success in Seattle and continued it in Arizona. The young man that most gave up for dead has begun to believe that he can play in this league. Like many have said the talent was always there it was his head that was moving to slow or to fast. He may just now be seeing the game begin to slow down for him. Several have stated that it takes most offensive linemen a few years to get it. Tucker will continue to struggle, but maybe he has turned the corner and will be a player to be reckoned with. If the holes that the line punched in the Arizona line are present for JJ and he shows some of what he showed last year everyone will be back to game planning to stop our running attack. If not the MBIII will be punishing linebackers in the opponents backfield. Either way we may have the making of a good to great offensive line in our future.

Mr. Bill,

You state my exact point. Actually your Bill Parcells’ quote does. “I really think at some point in time, we wont care who is in there.” So right now they do care, right?

“WE” – the team, including the offensive linemen.

“AT SOME POINT IN TIME, WE WON’T CARE WHO IS IN THERE” – a definate reveal that the team does care who is in there RIGHT NOW. So, obviously (WE =) THE TEAM, including Parcells cares about who is playing now. Right now, the team (especially the offensive line, the YOUNG offensive tackles) has more confidence with one back over the other. … I wonder who that it?

… Thank you Mr. Bill for clearing things up!! That is my point .. you go with the back that the team feels most comfortable with!!

Come on Mr. Bill, the Julius Jones-Barry Sanders comparisons were rampant last year. Many people believe that Jones being asked to honor the blocks of the offensive line has effected his game adversly. But, Parcells was adoment about reducing the number of negative plays in the running game. All over the place, sports analysts and fans are saying that is why Julius is struggling this year. Ahhh, that’s is AW point too, of maybe Barber is simply a better fit. .. It is my opinion too that Jone’s style has been a bit different this year, and he has struggled with the change. I admire Julius’s humbleness and coachability, and just like Parcells is suggesting in his “at some point” comment, Julius will be fine. For a player to be asked to change what has become instinctive to him is very difficult. The guy has improvized with his talents for a long long time and now is being asked to curb that, all I can say is I admire JJ’s committment to the team by trying.

.. You want a specific run this year .. but I’ll just point you towards Parcells’ comments about negative plays last year.

My point throughout this entire discusion has been, you just can’t mess with the fragile confidence of young NFL players. The young OTs are playing well with Barber in there, so you just try to ride that. .. It the same exact thing when a struggling team’s QB goes down, and all of a sudden the team starts playing better with the other guy in there (Tom Brady anyone?). Brady was what a 6th round draft choice? He got his chance and his team satrted playing better, the rest is history.

EricR,

So right now they do care, right?
â€Å"WE” – the team, including the offensive linemen.

â€Å"AT SOME POINT IN TIME, WE WONâ€â"¢T CARE WHO IS IN THERE” – a definate reveal that the team does care who is in there RIGHT NOW. So, obviously (WE =) THE TEAM, including Parcells cares about who is playing now. Right now, the team (especially the offensive line, the YOUNG offensive tackles) has more confidence with one back over the other. … I wonder who that it?

… Thank you Mr. Bill for clearing things up!! That is my point .. you go with the back that the team feels most comfortable with!!

Please put down your crackpipe! Saying the sky is pink does not make it so.

Yes, Parcells does care about who is playing now. That’s why, if he is fully healthy, Jones will start. How do I know that? Parcells said so. There is nothing you can dream up that will change that fact.

.. You want a specific run this year .. but Iâ€â"¢ll just point you towards Parcellsâ€â"¢ comments about negative plays last year.

So, now you want to change your argument completely. It really ISN’T that Jones is bouncing plays outside this year AS YOU CLAIMED. I guess that means that your claims about the offensive line for this year were also completely bogus. Too bad you spent all that time arguing that point for nothing.

OK. I have no problem acknowledging that Parcells wanted Jones to work on his technique a bit this year. However, I do not accept your conclusion (or anyone else’s) that it has adversely affected his performance this year, but I’m willing to let events to come prove you wrong.

My point throughout this entire discusion has been, you just canâ€â"¢t mess with the fragile confidence of young NFL players. The young OTs are playing well with Barber in there, so you just try to ride that. .. It the same exact thing when a struggling teamâ€â"¢s QB goes down, and all of a sudden the team starts playing better with the other guy in there (Tom Brady anyone?). Brady was what a 6th round draft choice? He got his chance and his team satrted playing better, the rest is history.

Evidently Bill Parcells thinks he CAN ‘mess with the fragile confidence’ of his young players. I wonder why that is? Could it be that he still believes that Julius Jones (if healthy) is the best running back on this team AT THIS TIME? Well, obviously he doesn’t have the insight into NFL team psychology that you do.

As for what the other players are thinking, here is one quote on the matter from Keyshawn Johnson:

http://www.texarkanagazette.com/articles/2005/11/01/local_news/sports/sports09.txt

Keyshawn Johnson probably said it best about Barberâ€â"¢s strong showing.

“He ran well a week ago in Seattle, and he ran well today,” Johnson said. “You get better with the more time you have and he did better today. It was an important game for him to establish himself, and now we have a guy to count on until Julius comes back.”

It seems to me that Keyshawn Johnson has a better handle on the situation than you do.

Now if you can provide me with ONE quote from a player or coach who would prefer Barber to start over Jones, I will acknowledge your point. Failing that, you have none.

I notice that you still have not answered my question about seeing Tony Dorsett play. So, I’ll ask you another one: Did you ever see Emmitt Smith play?

I’m really wondering, because, from your comments, one would believe that Smith never broke a play to the outside. That is patently absurd. ANY running back who plows into the designated hole when it is filled and another avenue is open, is an inept running back. I do not care one whit about your blather about blocking angles. If the hole is elsewhere, the good running backs (and especially the great ones) go through it. Emmitt Smith certainly did, and on multiple occasions, even when that hole was to the outside.

A good example of that occurred in the Oakland game. LaMont Jordan, a power back with only mediocre speed [a player you must positively adore] repeatedly gashed the Cowboys when Ware over-committed to the inside, by breaking back to the outside. Funny, I didn’t see the Raiders linemen or their coach getting all upset over this.

The problem with Barry Sanders, was that he broke to the outside, whether a hole was there or not, and relied on his skills to avoid whatever was in his way. Sometimes it worked for him, but it also was what led to numerous negative plays. [It is probably the main reason that Sanders was removed from the game in short-yardage and goal-line situations.] THAT is what Parcells is trying to avoid. Please do not try to argue that Parcells is doing it to try to avoid penalties. Any offensive lineman worth his salt knows how to block in those situations. Do penalties sometimes occur as a result? [See Rivera’s block on Barber’s screen pass.] Of course they do. But no sane coach is going to tell his running back to avoid a gaping hole just to avoid the possibility of a penalty. No, he’s going to tell his linemen to play smarter, or he’ll get better linemen.

EricR
You should stop with MR Bill because the only thing Mr Bill is going to say is. “Parcells said so”. Mr Bill is Parcells PR rep. We will see that happen the rest of the year. Some think Bill find a rb in MB right after the last game. Some think JJ is the man still. My whole point is I haven’t seen enough from either guy yet. I had questions about JJ running before the season started about him being able to get though yards and running inside. 8 games into the season I still have those questions. Question I have on MB is can he keep it up I like how he runs so far. The only way to answer those question is for both to get the ball. I don’t like the sharing of the backfield. It doesn’t work only a couple of teams can pull it off and have pulled it off.

Mr. Bill,

Go listen to what Parcells said about Marion Barber on Monday. Then compare it to what he said about Julius Jones earlier this year. Audio is there on DC.com!!

Barber “very good in all areas of the position”
Barber “very good pass protector”
Barber “DOESN’T make mental errors”

Julius “needs help in that area (running routes)”
Julius “getting better pass blocking”

.. That is what Parcells said.

EricR,

Go listen to what Parcells said about Marion Barber on Monday. Then compare it to what he said about Julius Jones earlier this year. Audio is there on DC.com!!

I’ve already heard it. I was listening on line, when he said it.

I noticed one thing, though, that he did NOT say about Marion Barber, that Barber is our starting running back. That was one thing he made sure to say about Jones.

Since you don’t care to answer my questions about Tony Dorsett or Emmitt Smith, perhaps you would care to name the running back you have most admired — the one who never breaks runs to the outside.

Look! If Bill Parcells names Marion Barber as the starter against Philadelphia over a healthy Julius Jones, I will acknowledge your genius on this blog. Nor need you worry that I will rub it in, if Jones starts instead. That’s not how I operate. But I do keep a scorecard, and you know how it reads as of now.

Mr. Bill,

I don’t know a damn thing when it comes to what Parcells WILL do. Its just my opinion that Barber deserves a shot at playing.

The difference in opinion on this blog has been how much Julius has earned his “entitled” starting job as to if Barber has earned a chance to start. In my opinion Julius is a player that has been making strides at improving his game. Parcells, “needs work” comment is proof of that. When talking about Barber, Parcells said, “very good in all areas” and “doesn’t make mental errors”. So you draw your conclusions on that.

Respectfully I’ll let you have the last word. Nice discussing the matter with you, but I don’t think either of us will change each others minds. .. We will see soon enough what Parcells thinks.

EricR,

… Its just my opinion that Barber deserves a shot at playing.

So, where’s the problem? I agree with that, and apparently so does Bill Parcells.

Respectfully Iâ€â"¢ll let you have the last word. …

Thank you. That was it.

AW,

EricR
You should stop with MR Bill because the only thing Mr Bill is going to say is. â€Å"Parcells said so”. Mr Bill is Parcells PR rep. …

I am merely attempting to keep things at least somewhat grounded in reality here. It sure ain’t easy!

… The only way to answer those question is for both to get the ball. I donâ€â"¢t like the sharing of the backfield. It doesnâ€â"¢t work only a couple of teams can pull it off and have pulled it off.

It worked for the Patriots with Kevin Faulk and Antowain Smith. It worked for the Bucs with Dunn and Alstott, and later (when they won the Super Bowl) with Pittman and Alstott. It has worked for the Broncos with multiple combinations, most recently Anderson and Bell. It worked for the Eagles, when they actually had more than one healthy running back. It works for the Rams with Marshall Faulk and Steven Jackson. It works for the Steelers with Bettis and Parker, and earlier with Bettis and Staley, and earlier with Bettis and Zeroeue. It has worked for the Raiders for decades. It is working for the Falcons with Dunn and Duckett. It is working for the Chiefs with Holmes and Johnson.

Of those teams, only the Patriots actively sought to improve their running back situation to where they could use a single back. They did, however, manage to win a couple of Super Bowls with the running-back-by-committee approach. You might quibble about St. Louis and Atlanta being on my list, since they are relying primarily on one of their backs this year. However, in the past, that was not the case. Nor will I accept the argument that Alstott was really a fullback. He had his best results in a single-back set. He’s actually a lousy fullback.

One might prefer to have a super back that you would want never to leave the field. But several teams have succeeded with multiple backs who were merely very good. Bill Parcells relied on Curtis Martin in his winning years with the Patriots and Jets, and on Joe Morris during his early years with the Giants, but during his championship season with the 1989 Giants, Ottis Anderson shared carries with Rodney Hampton and Lewis Tillman. Parcells even managed to squeeze in a few carries for Dave Meggett that year. None of those backs will enter the Hall of Fame without a ticket, but all were effective in their own way, and it seemed to work well for those Giants.

There is more than one way to run a backfield.